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Doctors: Political puppets in the local vs. foreign battle
It's rare for new doctors to move to places that don't offer a comparable quality of life, especially those who have furthered their education to become specialist doctors.
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Young physicians hold posters during a demonstration on July 4, 2024 in front of Airlangga University's School of Medicine in Surabaya, East Java. During the protest, which was also attended by professors and other academics on campus, they demanded that the university rector reinstate Budi Santoso as the dead of the faculty so that he could complete his term. Budi was dismissed after expressing opposition to the Health Ministry's plan to invite foreign doctors to practice in Indonesia. (Antara/Didik Suhartono)
O
ver the past year, there have been frequent discussions about Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin’s plan to permit foreign doctors to practice in Indonesia. This initiative aims to address the shortage of doctors, particularly in certain regions. However, the idea has sparked debates, even resistance, especially among local doctors.
The controversy has become even more complex as many people suspect that Indonesian doctors focus on making money from patients rather than providing quality health care that the country truly needs.
It is a reality that Indonesia is facing a chronic shortage of doctors. There are only about 226,000 doctors to serve a population of 275 million in 2024. This physician-to-population ratio aligns with the World Health Organization's ideal standard of one physician per 1,000 people.
So, is there a lack of doctors? Not quite. The real issue lies in the inadequate distribution of these doctors across the country.
We need to take a closer look at the facts. It's evident that the majority of doctors, both general practitioners and specialists, are concentrated on Java Island, the most densely populated island in Indonesia. Specifically, West Java, East Java and Jakarta each have around 23,000 doctors.
This means that almost 40 percent of Indonesian doctors are located on Java Island alone. Given that the island is the most densely populated, it's no surprise that the number of doctors follows this pattern of population density.
Java is also considered the most developed region in Indonesia, boasting superior infrastructure, better health care and home to many of the country's major universities and medical schools. These institutions produce a significant number of new doctors each year. Understandably, many of these new doctors prefer to stay on Java Island due to the better infrastructure, adequate salaries and superior facilities, including housing for families and quality schools for their children.
