Indonesia awards 4,592 health scholarships to tackle specialist shortage
The Ministry of Health announced 4,592 scholarships for doctors, dentists and other health workers between 2024 and 2026 to ease the nationwide specialist deficit.
Indonesia's Ministry of Health disclosed that it will grant 4,592 scholarships from 2024 through 2026 to specialist physicians, general practitioners, dentists and other health staff to improve the uneven distribution of medical personnel across the country. Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin highlighted that 93% of regions face a deficit of 55,192 specialist doctors, and only about half of the new regional hospitals have a full specialist complement.
The scholarship package comprises 2,696 specialist doctor awards, 1,081 for GPs and dentists, and 815 for other health workers. Complementary actions include the Hospital-Based Primary Provider Teaching Hospital (RSPPU) program, which has enrolled 221 trainees, the creation of 55 specialist education programs at 52 hospitals, and the assignment of 371 specialists to priority facilities. The ministry also deployed 3,648 health workers to underserved community health centers and sent 136 specialists abroad for advanced training, with 65 returning to serve their home regions.
Why it matters
Boosting specialist training and placement aims to close critical gaps in Indonesia's healthcare access and quality.
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