inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. In making the grand vision of President Prabowo Subianto's government a success in the health sector. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology emphasized strategic steps to medical education in Indonesia.
The President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, previously promised to build 300 new Faculties of Health (FK), however, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Technology assessed that this effort would take a long time, so the main focus at this time is improving the quality and productivity of existing FK.
The Secretary General of Higher Education and Science and Technology, Togar M. Simatupang, explained that Indonesia currently has 131 medical schools with medical study programs. Of that number, 87 medical schools have graduated more than 10,000 doctors each year.
"That means there are still 44 other medical faculties that have the potential to add more doctors in the following years. From the data, the need for doctors in terms of numbers does not need to be addressed by adding new health faculties, which will take at least 5-6 years to be able to produce," he said on Friday (1/24/2025).
Togar says that the current shortage of doctors is more due to the uneven distribution of doctors, not merely the lack of graduates. Thus, the distribution and equalization of doctors in Indonesia is considered a more appropriate solution to be implemented at this time.
Togar, instead, saw President Prabowo's promise to build 300 new medical schools as a warning of serious problems in the health sector.
Therefore, he said that his party is also trying to improve the quality and quantity of doctors in Indonesia, one of which is through the Doctoral Professional Program Student Competency Test (UKMPPD) as the main program to maintain the quality of medical education.
He said that UKMPPD functions to evaluate and improve the quality of management of medical education on an ongoing basis.
Regarding concrete efforts to improve synergy, he said the government has taken a step forward by signing a Joint Decree (SKB) for specialist doctor education.
The signing of the SKB carried out by the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology together with the Minister of Health (Menkes), is expected to be a new foundation to improve specialist doctor education in Indonesia.
(ad/fa/pr/nm)
