Speaking after the First National Forum of the Indonesian Health Council in Jakarta, he said Indonesia continues to face an uneven distribution of doctors, with areas such as Papua experiencing acute shortages.
To address this, the government will strengthen medical education by offering fully funded residency programs for local talent.
"This morning, I met with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology to discuss plans to open 150 new residency programs to train specialist doctors who will be deployed to all 514 districts and cities," he said.
He said the expansion aims to enable more young Indonesians in various regions to become qualified specialists and serve their home communities, including those in remote and underdeveloped areas.
The government expects the initiative to produce results within three to four years.
Octavianus added that new programs are essential, as about 47 percent of districts and cities still lack qualified specialist doctors.
The programs will prioritize specialties such as internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, pediatrics, anesthesiology, radiology, and clinical pathology.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to address Indonesia's shortage of more than 140,000 doctors.
He has also ordered the establishment of 30 new medical faculties, the designation of more hospitals as training centers, and expanded scholarship support for medical students.
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Translator: Prisca T, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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