The Jakarta Health Agency has mulled over a plan to hire psychologists who would be assigned to work at the city’s community health centers (Puskesmas) for Rp 13 million (US$961) a month.



The agency's secretary, Een Haryani, said on Monday that the plan followed Governor Anies Baswedan's instruction to provide psychologists amid a high number of people who were stressed.



Een said the agency would hire 44 psychologists and each of them would be placed in a separate district in the capital.



“The recruitment is part of next year’s plan. They will be paid Rp 13 million per month,” Een told kompas.com.



Een said the agency might face difficulties during the recruitment process due to the limited number of available psychologists.



“We will see. If we are only able to hire five psychologists, then only five Puskesmas in five districts will have psychologists. We will cooperate with universities,” she said.



Throughout 2016, the agency recorded nearly 40,000 consultations related to stress and depression in Puskesmas across Jakarta.



Anies previously asserted that assigning psychologists at Puskesmas was necessary, saying around 20 percent of the capital’s citizens were prone to stress. (fac)

Topics : psychologist puskesmas