"Indonesia currently has a shortage of around 70,000 specialist doctors, based on the 30-year healthcare needs projections compiled in collaboration with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)," he said on Tuesday.
He stated that the annual output of specialist doctors in Indonesia is only around 2,700, significantly lower than required and lagging behind other countries.
For instance, South Korea, with just one-sixth of Indonesia’s population, produces 3,000 specialist doctors yearly, while the UK, with a population one-quarter of Indonesia's, produces 12,000 specialists each year.
"We only have 26 educational centers, making specialist training very challenging and costly. Other countries have hundreds," Sadikin continued.
He outlined the government's plan to open 500 primary educational hospitals in all districts/cities for seven basic specialties, allowing prospective specialists to pursue specialist education without having to compete with large educational centers in Java.
"The distribution of doctors will never be optimal if educational centers remain concentrated in Java. If a Papuan studies at the Papua Regional General Hospital, he will definitely be admitted and can return to serve his region," the minister explained.
In addition, the effort to improve the quality of specialist education is carried out by collaboration with international accreditation institutions such as the Royal College of London and the ACGME in the United States to ensure transparent and equitable standards for recruitment, learning, and clinical practice.
The minister also drew attention to districts/cities in Central Java that lack seven basic specialties or three additional priority specialties, such as cardiology, neurology, and urology, even though the province is relatively advanced in healthcare services.
“This highlights the huge gap between the demand for healthcare and the number of doctors. Conditions are even harder outside Java,” he remarked.
However, he is optimistic that expanding teaching hospitals and boosting training capacity will help close the specialist doctor gap within 20 years.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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