New National Health Insurance in Indonesia

JKN Logo (Source: Wikipedia)

The law on the national social security system in Indonesia has been implemented since 1 January 2014. As a result, the Indonesia's National Health Insurance named JKN (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional) is being implemented nationwide that covers Indonesian citizens and foreigners residing in Indonesia for more than six months. This system is managed by a Social Security Provider called BPJS-Kesehatan (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial bidang Kesehatan).
JKN is mandatory, where employees should be registered by 1 January 2015 and by 1 January 2019 for others categories of the population.

Skin infections: an expat experience

By: Emily

Another personal post, this time about skin infections. I grazed my foot (and clearly chipped my polish) on coral swimming in the ocean. Not badly but very tender and quickly infected. I have applied over the counter topical antiseptic cream (betadine is fine) and am making sure it dries out. Things can turn infected and septic very very quickly in humid tropical climates like in Bali (as any surfer would know!) so keep an eye on wounds especially if the area around it appears to redden. If the coloring spreads you should go to a doctor for assistance asap and most likely get a course of antibiotics. Luckily in this instance I just need a pedicure!

Travelling with food allergies

If you are a traveller with a particular food allergy, such as peanut allergy, you have to take a good time to plan your trip. Travelling with food allergies is challenging but with careful planning it is possible. Traveling in developing countries can pose more risks due to the lack of labelling and the difficulty in tracing food ingredients.
Here are some useful tips:

• Before booking your flight, be aware that some airlines require those with peanut allergy to sign an indemnity form or you will not be allowed to fly with them.

An expat experience after being bitten by a kitten

By: Emily

RABIES SCARE!! This is a personal post about my experience last week. I have already had my 3 rabies vaccinations in Australia but as we know if bitten or scratched by a cat/dog/monkey unknown to you you need 3 booster shots. Whilst rescuing a kitten stuck under our car I was bitten very badly all over my hand. The kitten wasnt vicious just scared but rabies is not something to EVER dismiss. I immediately scrubbes the area with steel wool under a running tap for 10 minutes. This is your first step.

Health and stress management for Expats

In the last few months, we've heard from the newspapers a few cases of suicide among tourists in their villas or hotels. The cases are still under investigation by the local police, but after seeing and hearing about all those cases, we can say that those tourists might fell into a condition named "STRESS". This might be due to lack of preparation and knowledge that put them into risks for developing the psychological stress. Some of the expats or travelers can manage it, but some of them cannot, and without proper help the stress can get worse.
Below are some tips that might be helpful in preventing you from getting stress in Bali.