Bill to open door to foreign doctors, but requirements strict
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The bill on medical practice proposed by the House of Representatives will enable foreign doctors to open private clinics in Indonesia as a result of the liberalization of the world's labor market, something that Indonesia has pledged itself to.
The deputy chairman of the House's welfare commission, Sanoesi Tambunan, said on Tuesday, however, that the bill had been drawn up to protect local doctors from foreign competitors in the domestic market.
"We have to prioritize doctors from our country. We won't necessarily grant foreign doctors licenses (to open private practices) if our own doctors can meet the demand," said Sanoesi.
He said the bill would protect local doctors by imposing strict requirements for the obtaining of licenses by foreign doctors.
"We can't close the door on globalization. Foreign doctors can open private clinics in Indonesia, but they have to meet our requirements," Sanoesi said.
The bill says the requirements will be determined by the Indonesian Medical Council (KKI), which will also have the power to issue licenses for foreign doctors or Indonesian citizens who obtain their medical qualifications overseas.
Currently, it is common for foreign doctors to practice medicine in international hospitals, multinational companies and hotels.
Article 20 (2) of the bill spells out the requirements that foreign doctors have to satisfy, and covers such issues as the validity of their degrees, their suitability to practice medicine, academic and professional competence, physical and mental aptitude, and ethics.
Article 21 of the bill says a medical practitioner who meets the requirements will be given a temporary registration certificate which is valid for one year, but which can be renewed for a further one year.
Data gathered by the Ministry of Health in 2001 shows that the country had 26,917 medical practitioners, 15,428 of whom were general physicians, 6,039 specialists and 5,450 dentists. As the country produces only 2,000 fresh general practitioners and 200 new specialists every year, the opportunities for foreign doctors to open private practices here are huge.
A former chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), Kartono Mohamad, welcomed the bill and suggested that no barriers be erected to keep foreign doctors out.
"Local doctors should not worry about competition from foreign rivals. They will motivate us to improve our medical standards to regional and international levels," said Kartono.