Babel PKK Chair’s Initiative Brings Free Mass Circumcision to 52 Children
Babel’s free mass circumcision program helps families cut costs, with a target reach of 500 children across the province.
PANGKALPINANG — Babel PKK Chair’s Initiative Brings Free Mass Circumcision to 52 Children at Depati Hamzah Regional Hospital on Monday, June 22, 2026, giving families in Pangkalpinang a rare break from rising health costs. The free service, led by Bangka Belitung TP-PKK Chair Noni Hidayat, served children from several districts and was framed as a direct response to circumcision fees that can reach millions of rupiah at private clinics.
The impact was immediate. Parents who might otherwise delay the procedure because of cost got access to medical services without paying the usual bill. For lower-income households, that matters now, not later. The program also sent a signal that a social service can land where it hurts most: the family budget.
Why the free circumcision program matters
Noni said the initiative grew from what her team saw in the field. She pointed to the cost of circumcision at clinics as one of the reasons many families hesitate. “If circumcision is done at a clinic, for example, the cost can reach millions of rupiah. That is quite high. With this activity, the burden on the public becomes lighter,” she said.
That explanation reflects a wider reality in many Indonesian households. A health procedure that sounds routine can turn into a serious expense once transport, service fees, and post-care are added up. For parents with limited income, even a single child’s medical need can force trade-offs elsewhere in the household. Food. School needs. Daily bills.
TP-PKK Babel positioned the program as part of the 54th Family Welfare Movement Day, or HKG PKK, and tied it to the organization’s 10 core programs. The message was clear: PKK work is not supposed to stop at meetings and ceremonies. It has to reach people in practical ways.
Noni said this was the second year her team had organized a similar activity. On Monday, services were split between two points: the Babel TP-PKK Secretariat in the Governor’s Office complex and Depati Hamzah Regional Hospital in Pangkalpinang. The setup allowed the team to handle participants while keeping the process orderly and medically supervised.
Target reaches 500 children across Bangka Belitung
The scale is expected to grow. TP-PKK Babel is targeting as many as 500 children across the province through a series of rotating activities in regencies and cities. That target gives the program a broader meaning than a one-day event in Pangkalpinang. It is meant to travel.
The collaboration behind the event also mattered. Support came from Baznas Babel, Bank Sumsel Babel’s Pangkalpinang branch, PT Swarna Nusa Sentosa, and PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia’s Depati Amir branch. Their involvement helped cover the technical and logistical side of the service.
For residents, that kind of partnership can be the difference between a plan and an actual service. Public programs often fail when the paperwork is neat but the field work is thin. Here, the beneficiaries showed up, the medical team worked, and the event moved.
Noni said TP-PKK functions as a strategic government partner and a driver of change. She said the organization must reach the roots of residents’ problems, not stay at the level of administration. “As a strategic partner of the government and a driver of change, PKK is present through various movements that reach the root of the people’s problems,” she said.
She also linked the program to President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita agenda and to the vision and mission of Babel Governor Hidayat Arsani. In her view, that alignment gives local PKK work a clearer direction. It also helps explain why social programs like this keep showing up in provincial public service agendas.
The benefit on the ground was easy to hear. Aisyah, a Pangkalpinang resident whose child joined the program, said the service eased household spending and removed the need to pay high clinic fees. “Thank God, we are very grateful for a program like this. Circumcision costs are quite high now. This program really helps the community, especially families,” she said.
She added thanks to the officials involved, including Bunda Noni, the governor, Bunda Susanti, and the mayor. Another parent, Rahmat, said the program should be expanded to other parts of Bangka Belitung. He noted that participants also received souvenirs and pocket money, which made the day feel less clinical and more like a community service event.
The event was also attended by Pangkalpinang Mayor Saparudin, Acting City Secretary Budi Yanto, Pangkalpinang TP-PKK Chair Susanti Saparudin, and several administrators from both the provincial and city PKK boards. Officials handed souvenirs to participant representatives, and Noni later inspected the circumcision process with Susanti. A plaque of appreciation was also presented to TP-PKK Pangkalpinang for its support.
For the 52 families who walked into Depati Hamzah Regional Hospital that day, the main relief was simple: one less expense, one less worry. And with 500 children still in the pipeline across Bangka Belitung, the next round of free service is already in sight.
