Video: Indonesia Faces Doctor Shortage, Health Minister Reveals Plan to Attract Foreign Doctors

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, in an Economic Update programme, revealed efforts to strengthen the healthcare industry’s resilience to support national economic growth. One of the Ministry of Health’s current focuses is the equitable distribution of healthcare services across Indonesia, such as hospitals, by encouraging hospital networks to invest and open facilities in the regions, thereby driving investment and creating jobs. The Ministry is targeting improvements to around 400 hospitals in regencies and cities so that healthcare services are more evenly distributed and patients do not need to travel to large cities or seek treatment abroad. The Ministry is also ensuring regulatory ease to enhance the competitiveness of healthcare sector investment. However, the Minister also highlighted the issue of medical personnel shortages, noting that Indonesia lacks 70,000 specialist doctors, while the annual graduation rate for specialists is only 2,000. Consequently, the Ministry is promoting hospital-based specialist education to accelerate the production of specialist doctors, including the potential recruitment of foreign doctors, so that the distribution of doctors becomes more equitable. The Ministry is also pushing for transformation within BPJS Kesehatan, the national health insurance scheme, stating that ideally BPJS Kesehatan should cover 60-80% of health expenditure to prevent high healthcare inflation, whereas currently it only covers 20%. In an effort to strengthen BPJS Kesehatan’s finances, the Ministry is advocating for improved governance based on the principle of mutual cooperation regarding premiums. The full discussion on the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen healthcare services and improve public health maintenance can be viewed in the dialogue between Mercy Widjaja and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on CNBC Indonesia’s Economic Update programme.