nIndonesia’s Doctor Shortage Crisis: A Collaborative Effort to Bridge the Gap
Indonesia is grappling with a severe shortage of doctors, a challenge that has prompted the Ministry of higher Education, Science, and technology to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to address the issue. The government’s plan includes limiting the establishment of new medical faculties while focusing on redistributing doctors to underserved regions.
Togar Mangihut Simatupang, the acting secretary-general of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, emphasized the need to prioritize the outermost, frontier, and disadvantaged (3T) regions.“Regions facing doctor shortages will be supplemented with doctors from othre parts of the country,” he stated on January 28, 2025. As a notable example, doctors from West Java will be deployed to areas like Papua, where the shortage is most acute.
This strategy aims to ensure an equitable distribution of medical professionals without compromising healthcare services or establishing new medical faculties. Additionally, the ministries are conducting studies to enhance the performance of medical students at existing faculties.
On January 13, 2025, Minister Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro announced plans to restrict the opening of new medical faculties in Indonesian universities. Instead, the government will focus on increasing admissions to existing institutions. “[Expanding admissions] is faster than opening new medical faculties,” he explained during an interview with Tempo on january 18, 2025.
Currently, Indonesia has 117 medical faculties, with 23 established in the past two years following the lifting of a moratorium. Despite this growth, the country still faces a significant shortfall. According to the Ministry of Health, there are 156,000 general practitioners in Indonesia, leaving a gap of 124,000 to meet the ideal ratio of one doctor per thousand people.
| Key Statistics | Details |
|———————|————-|
| Total Medical Faculties | 117 |
| New Faculties (Last 2 Years) | 23 |
| General Practitioners | 156,000 |
| Shortfall of general Practitioners | 124,000 |
The government’s approach underscores the urgency of addressing the doctor shortage while ensuring sustainable solutions. By redistributing doctors and enhancing medical education, Indonesia aims to bridge the gap and improve healthcare access across the nation.
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