Social Inequality and Access to Health Services in Indonesia: A Conflict Theory Analysis of the Social Production of Public Health Risks

Abstract

This article examines social inequality and access to health services in Indonesia through the perspective of conflict theory. Public health is understood not only as a medical issue, but also as a social issue influenced by the distribution of resources, socio-economic position, education, occupation, place of residence, and power relations. This study employs a qualitative approach using a library research method. The data were obtained from books on sociological theory, journal articles, reports from international institutions, government data, and relevant previous studies. The analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis, with conflict theory as the main analytical framework, supported by the concept of the social determinants of health.

The findings indicate that the expansion of the National Health Insurance program, known as Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN), has improved public health protection, but has not fully eliminated inequalities in access to health services. Poor communities, informal workers, rural populations, and residents of remote areas still face barriers such as limited health facilities, unequal distribution of health workers, indirect costs, low health literacy, and differences in service quality. This article concludes that public health risks are socially produced through structural inequality; therefore, health equity requires policies that are more responsive to and supportive of vulnerable groups.