"NU has a very wide network that extends to remote villages. Consequently, it is obligated to assist the government in maintaining public health, including through the development of education in the health sector," the Vice President said in a statement obtained here, Thursday.
Amin has inaugurated the Campus C Building of the Institute of Health Sciences Nahdlatul Ulama (IIKNU) in Tuban, East Java.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, as of August 2023, the number of health workers in Indonesia has reached 1.6 million, he noted adding, they comprise 9 types of priority health workers.
Nurses and midwives constitute the largest group of health workers at 66 percent; currently, there are approximately 657 thousand nurses and 392 thousand midwives spread across Indonesia. Their number is still sufficiently good to meet the needs of public health services.
However, many other countries need Indonesian health workers. For example, the demand for nurses from Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Germany is quite high, but has not been fully met, the Vice President noted.
"One of the reasons is because the competency standards and qualifications of our nurses have not met the competency standards of the destination country," he said.
Therefore, the Vice President said, all potentials and opportunities in the field of public health services must continue to be optimally worked on, including by NU.
"All civitas academica from universities producing health workers in Indonesia, especially IIKNU Tuban, I ask them to continue to increase their real contribution. Ensure that the quality of graduates of health workers continues to be improved so that they meet work quality standards at home and abroad," he added.
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Translator: Rangga P, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Sri Haryati
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