He emphasized that only the university rector holds the power to make such a decision.
"We also have no idea what considerations were taken that led to the dismissal. I also do not have direct communication with the rector," Sadikin remarked after meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday.
He said he did not pay much mind to the comment by Santoso, who spoke against the ministry's decision to bring in foreign doctors.
Sadikin explained that the initiative to bring in foreign doctors had been agreed upon by legislative members and the government and established formally through law, thereby annulling the need for further discussion on the matter.
During his meeting with DPR members, he reiterated that foreign doctors are brought to Indonesia as a measure to save thousands of lives and push for knowledge transfer, such as on cardiovascular surgeries.
"It is a matter of saving the lives of 300,000 Indonesians suffering strokes, 250,000 who have heart diseases, and 6,000 infants who are likely to die every year," Sadikin explained.
Recent media reports claimed Santoso's dismissal was linked to his opposition to the foreign doctor program.
Santoso said that Indonesia's 92 medical faculties are capable of educating and generating doctors who are just as qualified as their foreign counterparts.
Unair's rector Professor Mohammad Nasih has declined to comment on the issue.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Anton Santoso
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