The Historical Development of Senam Asma Indonesia and the Contribution of Persahabatan Hospital (1985-Present)

Abstract

Background: Senam Asma Indonesia (SAI) is a longstanding Indonesian structuredasthma exercise program associated with Yayasan Asma Indonesia (YAI), asthma clubs,and Persahabatan Hospital. Its historical development has not previously been synthesizedwith explicit grading of source verification.

Methods: This non-systematic narrative historical review used targeted searches ofPubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Indonesian journal portals, official government andhospital websites, and institutional repositories, without a lower date limit and updated on10 July 2026. Historical statements were appraised according to source type and proximityto the event; discrepancies and unverified milestones were reported explicitly.

Results: An official Ministry of Health retrospective account states that YAI activities beganin 1985 as an Asthma Club at RSUP Persahabatan, providing counseling and therapist-ledbreathing exercise. A 1993 standardization seminar is described in secondary sources, butoriginal proceedings were not retrieved. A peer-reviewed retrospective review datesformalization of SAI to 1994. A 2002 clinical publication confirms that SAI was establishedin practice, while the 2003 revision manual is repeatedly cited but was not available in fullthrough open sources. Subsequent Indonesian studies and hospital reports show continuedclinical and community use, although the SAI-specific evidence remains small andheterogeneous.

Conclusion: Persahabatan Hospital was an early institutional setting for organized asthmaeducation and breathing exercise and has remained linked to SAI-related activity. Theverified historical record supports a narrative of local development, formalization, revision,and continued use, but national reach and several early milestones require primary archivalconfirmation. Future priorities include archival and oral-history research, national programmapping, standardized outcomes, and multicenter implementation studies.