"They do not take over the work of Indonesian doctors," Mohammad Syahril, the ministry's spokesperson, said in response to protests against the presence of a Saudi medical team in the hospital.
He explained that 27 Saudi doctors will perform complex heart surgeries free of charge for 30 children on June 25–30.
Children with such conditions typically require referral to Jakarta, placing a financial burden on families, he said.
"This is due to a lack of specialist doctors available in their regions," he stated.
The ministry expressed regret over any resistance to the program, which aims to improve access to critical medical care, Syahril said.
Earlier, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin cautioned that surgery delays could be life-threatening for these patients.
Law Number 17 of 2023 regulates the requirements and limitations for foreign health workers looking to practice in Indonesia.
The protests emerged after the dismissal of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Surabaya's Airlangga University, Professor Budi Santoso, on Wednesday.
Santoso, in his statement, linked his dismissal to his opposition to the government's program to bring in foreign doctors.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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