Indonesia's Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, emphasized the urgent need to speed up the training of medical specialists in the country, highlighting this as a key strategy to enhance the quality of public healthcare services.
According to Vietnam News Agency, Budi pointed out that the current rate of training doctors in Indonesia is not keeping pace with the country's population growth. As a result, the level of public healthcare services remains below desired standards. This shortfall in adequately trained medical personnel is a significant challenge for Indonesia, particularly as the country also grapples with the task of training enough specialist doctors for its new capital, Nusantara (IKN).
To address these issues, the Minister announced a plan to link 300 reputable medical facilities with medical schools. This initiative will allow students to gain practical experience during their studies. With the implementation of this program, Indonesia aims to train over 30,000 medical specialists each year, significantly increasing the current rate of specialist training.
Additionally, Budi highlighted Indonesia's policy of sending doctors abroad for skill enhancement. This strategy is also intended to reduce the trend of Indonesians seeking medical treatment in foreign countries. It is estimated that around 2 million Indonesians travel annually to neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand for medical treatments and recuperation.
The minister's call for expedited training and the new initiatives underscore Indonesia's commitment to improving its healthcare system. By enhancing the training and capabilities of medical specialists, Indonesia aims to not only improve the quality of healthcare services within the country but also to reduce the dependence on medical services abroad.