Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia On the Launching of Hospital-Based Education for Medical Specialists, Harapan Kita Hospital, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, May 6, 2024
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
May peace be upon us.
Om swastiastu.
Namo buddhaya,
Greetings of Virtue.
Distinguished Coordinating Ministers,
Ministers,
Deans of Medicine Faculty,
Professors,
Doctors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I think I have reiterated that in the next 10-15 years, our country will enjoy a demographic bonus. Sixty-eight percent of our productive-age population will emerge, and that will, if we can prepare, bring Indonesia towards a developed country.
Nevertheless, 68 percent of the productive-age is useless; it would be useless if their health is poor. Therefore, we are really working hard on preparing such a program. We have to plan, observe, and improve such matters.
In the last six months, if I have visited regions and made an impromptu hospital inspection. I sometimes drop by a community health center. I am glad the necessary equipment, for example, an ultrasound device, is already available there. I am happy with that. Also, be it at the provincial or municipality/regency hospital, they already provide equipment for MRI, mammogram, and catheterization laboratory.
Nevertheless, I always get complaints from regional residents, especially in the island provinces, about the lack of medical specialists. I think we should address these issues since the ratio of doctors to population in our country—I was also shocked—I just read this morning, 0.47 doctors per 1,000 population, ranking 147th in the world, which is very low. We are ranked 9th in ASEAN, meaning we are in the top three but from the bottom. This is a problem and these numbers should be discussed as openly as they are.
Citing statement from Minister of Health, our country still lacks 124,000 general practitioners and 29,000 medical specialists. This must be fulfilled immediately for this is not a small number. Do not let the equipment provided in municipality/regency and provincial hospitals become useless because there are no medical specialists.
Also, we can only produce 2,700 medical specialists annually so there are very few. In addition, there is another problem: the uneven distribution of medical specialists since 59 percent of them reside in the island of Java, especially in the cities. Hence, there should be a breakthrough.
I received different suggestions and inputs but now we must dare to change and start. Minister of Health told me there are only 24 medical facilities and 420 hospitals. Therefore, these two instruments must be implemented in tandem to immediately produce as many medical specialists as possible with international standards.
Earlier, the ACGME [Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education] stated they would assist us. I think the standards of the Royal College of London and ACGME are standards we want to adopt since we really have to dream high. Do not let our standards be limited to national ones, but international ones.
We will also send medical equipment to hospitals and community health centers that do not yet have MRI, catheterization laboratory, mammogram, ultrasound, or electrocardiogram equipment. This must be done immediately but certainly not during my administration. Later, during the administration of the newly-elected President (I hope), everything can be implemented, and the demographic bonus of 68 percent of the productive age that we discussed earlier will really bring benefits for this country so that our country can leap forward to become a developed country with good, a high economic GDP per capita equal as that of developed countries as it should be.
That concludes my speech on this auspicious occasion.
By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby officially launch Hospital-based Education for Medical Specialists.
I thank you.
Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(GWH/EP)