Gov’t to Prioritize Healthcare Quality Improvement in 2023

President Jokowi accompanied by Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani hands over Ministry of Health’s 2023 Budget Implementation List to Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Thursday (12/01) at the State Palace in Jakarta. (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Rahmat)

The Government’s priority in the health sector has shifted to improving healthcare quality for the people as the COVID-19 curve has flattened, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said.

“At Ministry of Health, our priority has shifted. We were focused on pandemic response, but we are now back to focusing on enhancing healthcare quality for the people,” he said in his press statement at the Presidential Office in Jakarta, Thursday (01/12).

Budi pointed out that his ministry would allocate sufficient budget to revitalize healthcare facilities and promotive and preventive programs.

“The focus is on top primary service. We will allocate sufficient budget to revitalize community healthcare centers, integrated healthcare service posts, and promotive and preventive programs. It is one of our priorities, keeping our people healthy instead of treating people who are sick,” he said.

According to Budi, Ministry of Health will also restructure hospitals across the countries to enhance healthcare quality for the people, especially for patients of critical illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

“We will work with regional governments, the Indonesian National Police, and the Indonesian National Defense Forces so that they can make the most of the budget as well,” he said, adding that his Ministry’s third focus is to develop the healthcare industry and to cooperate with Ministry of Industry in this case.

Budi further stated that his Ministry is also set to cooperate with Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and Ministry of Religious Affairs to develop human resources in the healthcare sector and ensure sufficient supply of medical specialists.

“The budgets will be allocated through ministries and the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) for distributing scholarships to healthcare workers,” he said, adding that his Ministry will be focused on healthcare financing system as well.

“Now we are making arrangements to ensure that healthcare financing will still be able to sustainably serve the people in treating their health issues,” he said.

Budi also stated that Ministry of Health will focus on developing healthcare programs based on biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

“Finally, we have also begun to prioritize future healthcare technologies based on biotechnology, information technology, artificial intelligence, all new healthcare technologies. That is the priority program,” he remarked. (RF/UN) (DH/EP)