RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Health is strengthening the national health system by accelerating the fulfillment of its specialist doctor needs. This is being done through a policy of affirmative action for local residents, especially those in 3T (underdeveloped, frontier, outermost) regions.

The affirmative action policy reduces educational cost barriers and opens access to specialist medical education for prospective medical personnel from low-income families.

The Ministry of Health launched the Primary Provider Teaching Hospital-Based Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS RSPPU) on May 6, 2024. The program is designed to increase the number of specialist doctors while promoting equitable distribution that responds to regional needs. Rather than simply increasing the education quota, this program shifts the paradigm by basing specialist education on service needs and affirmative action for local residents.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized that transforming healthcare services requires addressing not only infrastructure but also the availability and distribution of medical specialists.

"We will install modern medical equipment in all regencies and cities, both in Java and outside Java. However, equipment alone is not enough. The most crucial factor is having specialist doctors evenly distributed according to regional needs," said the Minister of Health in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, as quoted by the Ministry of Health's official website.

Based on projections until 2032, Indonesia still has a shortage of nearly 65,000 specialist doctors. In fact, the government is pushing for the equitable distribution of modern medical equipment to regencies and cities across Indonesia.

The PPDS RSPPU's clinical service-based residency model stands out from conventional approaches. Students become resident doctors and learn directly through practice at teaching hospitals. This approach builds clinical competency through real-world experience.

Currently, a total of 167 students are studying through this program. By 2026, the program will expand to 52 teaching hospitals offering 55 study programs focused on seven basic specialties and national priority areas, such as cardiology, stroke, uro-nephrology, and maternal-child health.

The recruitment and selection process is conducted collaboratively across ministries/institutions in accordance with the provisions of the Joint Decree of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. Selection for PPDS RSPPU students is planned to reopen in August 2026.

To maintain quality, the PPDS RSPPU program adheres to national and international standards. The main teaching hospital has received international accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and is nationally supervised by Independent Accreditation Institute for Higher Education in Health (LAM-PTKes) to ensure the quality of education, clinical services, and student professionalism.

In terms of funding, this program is supported by Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) scholarships, educational funding assistance from the Ministry of Health, and hospital incentives for residents. This scheme is part of an effort to reduce the burden of education costs so that access to specialist education is not limited to a select group.

"Specialist doctors are professionals who work and train to become more proficient, not students who must pay expensive tuition fees. This is an important paradigm shift so that specialist education is not only accessible to a select group," said the Minister.

This new program marks a policy shift: from simply increasing the number of graduates to ensuring specialist doctors are available where they are needed most. If implemented consistently, the RSPPU Specialist Program (PPDS) has the potential to accelerate the availability of specialist personnel in the outermost regions while strengthening the foundation of the national health system. ***