Central Sulawesi Provincial Government Promotes Equitable Distribution of Specialist Doctors in Remote Areas

Palu (ANTARA) - The Central Sulawesi Provincial Government (Pemprov Sulteng) is promoting the equitable distribution of specialist doctors through affirmative education policies for local children and doctors from remote areas. “If there are local children, we will educate them as specialists so they can serve their areas after graduation,” said Deputy Governor of Central Sulawesi Reny A. Lamadjido in her statement in Palu on Sunday. She conveyed this during the inauguration of the Indonesian Society of Anesthesiologists and Intensive Care (Perdatin) Central Sulawesi for the 2025–2028 period. On that occasion, the Deputy Governor encouraged professional medical organisations to support the affirmative specialist education policy as a special government scheme to expand access to education for local children and doctors from remote areas. She cited Banggai Laut Regency as an example, which still faces limitations in the number of specialist doctors because not all medical personnel are willing to be placed in distant areas. According to her, the equitable distribution of specialist doctors is important so that quality healthcare services are not only concentrated in Palu City but can also be felt by communities in remote areas and islands. She also stated that the presence of specialist anaesthesiologists is vital in meeting the minimum standards for Regional General Hospitals (RSUD), which are required to have four basic specialist services and three supporting specialists, with anaesthesiology being one of the supporting pillars that must not be vacant. For this reason, the Deputy Governor also encouraged specialist anaesthesiologists to develop sub-specialty educational competencies by utilising the Beasiswa Berani Cerdas programme prepared by the Provincial Government.