Medical graduates needed in remote areas

JAKARTA: Medical school graduates are still required to work in remote areas across the archipelago as the distribution of medical practitioners remains uneven, the Ministry of Health said on Friday.

Director General of Public Health Azrul Azwar said on Friday that the two-year placement program was needed to provide medical services to the public.

Last week, hundreds of medical school graduates currently participating in the program demanded the health ministry eliminate this requirement and increase their honorarium.

Azrul said on Friday that the health ministry had agreed to increase the doctors honorarium and would also grant a practice permit to enable medical practitioners to provide medical services in other places aside from the Public Health Centers (Puskesmas). -- Antara