UMY Expert Highlights Need for Governance in Equitable Heart Care Services

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - A hospital management expert from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Qurratul Aini, has assessed that the addition of health infrastructure, such as cath labs, must go hand in hand with the strengthening of human resources and service systems so that the investment has an impact on patient safety. The statement was made in response to the challenge of equitable heart care services in Indonesia. Based on data from the Ministry of Health, Indonesia currently faces a deficit of approximately 5,162 cardiologists from a total requirement of 6,801 doctors, with around 63.8 percent still concentrated on Java Island. Aini, speaking in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, said the phenomenon shows a gap between infrastructure development and service system readiness. Referring to Avedis Donabedian’s concept of healthcare quality, the existence of a cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) is a structural aspect that will not produce optimal outcomes without the support of competent health workers and an effective service system. She explained that from an asset management perspective, a cath lab installed without ready-to-use personnel risks becoming an idle asset. The investment value of the equipment is very large, but its contribution to patient safety becomes nil if it cannot be operated optimally. Furthermore, cath lab services require a comprehensive multidisciplinary team. In addition to cardiologists, hospitals need certified cardiovascular nurses, radiographers, cardiovascular technicians, anaesthetists and anaesthetic nurses, electromedical technicians, clinical pharmacists, and medical rehabilitation personnel, as well as supporting facilities such as an Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) or Intensive Cardiovascular Care Unit (ICVCU). Aini added that the biggest challenge at present is not merely the limited number of cardiologists, but the low utilisation rate of facilities due to the lack of an adequate service ecosystem. Hospitals that rely on only one cardiologist often face operational constraints when the doctor is on leave, unavailable, or experiencing fatigue, which can potentially trigger issues with medical staff retention. “Building heart care services is not just about installing equipment, but also about building a human resource ecosystem and governance capable of ensuring services run sustainably,” emphasised the lecturer from UMY’s Master of Hospital Administration programme. She stated that the success of equitable health service distribution in Indonesia is not measured solely by the increase in installed cath lab facilities, but by the ability of hospitals to provide quality services that are accessible to the public on a sustainable basis. “The main thing is quality services that can be accessed sustainably by the community,” she said.