Govt drafting bill on health workers

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 11/29/2009 7:53 AM  |  National

The government is drafting a bill that will help address a shortage of health workers in remote areas, a minister says.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih told Antara on Saturday the bill on health workers would offer special facilities to doctors, specialists and other medical workers who are willing to serve in remote and disadvantaged regions.

The special treatment includes an extra allowance, facilities to pursue further study and admission to the civil servants corps.
 
Endang said if the bill was passed into law, it would solve the long-standing challenge of poor access to health care facing people in less developed areas.

In the short run, the government will send 130 reinforcement health workers to a number of remote areas across the country, Endang said.

The government will also assign senior resident doctors who are at the final stage of their specialist education to serve in hospitals in isolated regions.

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