I

'€™m annoyed when people say: '€œDoctors should not think just about money because becoming a doctor is a calling.'€

Regrettably, such statements come from politicians who are trying to get attention from the general public.

Becoming a doctor may be a calling, but it is not easy to get a degree as a doctor. We can learn that to get a doctor certification, you need to study longer than in other professions. After graduating from medical school, a doctor must pass doctor competency examinations '€” multiple choice examinations and a practical known as an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

We have special skills. Everyone is happy after graduation as they can soon get a job, but an Indonesian doctor must complete an internship program for one year with a payment of Rp 2.5 million (US$218).

We get no insurance and residence, so if we get sick, we must pay our own health care. We are placed in remote areas. Are there any other graduates placed in such remote areas?

Under the system organized by the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS), all Indonesians are required to get health insurance. Under the BPJS, a gynecologist only receives Rp 50,000 for a caesarian operation.

All people need money to meet their needs, including doctors. How can we meet our needs if we don'€™t have money? Please be realistic. Our job is full of risks and we are paid such an amount of money. We also have night shifts and spend a days in hospital in contact with contagious diseases.

You can'€™t force doctors to always give services free of charge because doctors have special skills.

For those in the government, please don'€™t treat doctors as the scapegoats when you can'€™t keep your promises to the people. Doctors deserve good wages because we are professionals.

Catherine Maname Uli
Bekasi, West Java