Ministry of Health Reduces SKP Requirements for Doctors and Specialists from 250 to 160 per 5 Years

The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has officially reduced the required Professional Credit Units (SKps) for doctors and medical specialists from 250 to 160 SKPs per five-year period, enabling doctors to focus more effectively on providing healthcare services to the public.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasised that the reduction in SKP numbers does not mean compromising the quality or competency standards of doctors; rather, the ministry aims to ensure that competency development is truly relevant to service requirements.

“For a long time, doctors have spent a significant amount of time meeting various competency development requirements. We want to change this approach so that doctors’ time and energy are redirected towards what is most important, which is serving the community,” he stated in Jakarta on Thursday.

He explained that the policy to reduce SKPs was discussed jointly between the Ministry of Health, the Indonesian Health Council (KKI), the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), and the College of Disciplines. Under the new regulation, the highest proportion of SKP fulfilment will now be focused on the realm of clinical service, complementing the other two domains: learning and community service.

The fulfilment of SKPs is a mandatory requirement for medical personnel to extend their Practice Licences (SIP) every five years, as mandated by Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health. Although the numerical requirement has been lowered, maintaining competency remains an absolute instrument to guarantee patient safety.

As an implementation step, the ministry is currently finalising the Minister of Health’s Decree regarding guidelines for managing SKP sufficiency. An update to the SKP Platform application is also underway and is targeted for completion by September 2026.

“Through this adjustment, it is hoped that the burden on doctors will become more proportional without disregarding professionalism,” he said.

According to the Minister, this step will also assist healthcare facilities in ensuring the availability of competent doctors, so that the public receives services that are high-quality, safe, and easily accessible.