Indonesia’s Healthcare Crisis Rooted in Worker Distribution, Lawmaker Says

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s healthcare challenges cannot be solved simply by increasing the number of doctors. Commission IX lawmaker Netty Prasetiyani emphasized that improving the governance of healthcare worker distribution is a more pressing issue.

Netty said discussions on the health sector often focus on the shortage of doctors, while the public’s most pressing concern is the uneven distribution of medical personnel. “Many regions still struggle to access medical services, while large cities have an excess of medical personnel,” she noted in a press statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

She urged the government to strengthen national healthcare workforce planning by assessing regional needs. Planning, she said, must take into account population size, regional characteristics, disease burden, and the readiness of healthcare facilities.

“The distribution of doctors cannot rely solely on assignments, but must also be supported by appropriate incentives, clear career paths, adequate work facilities, and social support for healthcare workers in the regions,” she added.

Beyond workforce issues, Netty highlighted the importance of equitable distribution of healthcare facilities. Hospital construction and medical equipment procurement, she said, must be based on comprehensive needs mapping to ensure no region lacks basic services.

She also welcomed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, but emphasized that technology should serve as a support tool rather than replace doctors.

“AI can assist in screening, analyzing health data, reading examination results, and expediting administration. However, clinical decisions must remain in the hands of doctors because healthcare requires professional judgment and good communication with patients,” she said.

Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin acknowledged that Indonesia faces significant challenges in the medical sector, particularly the limited number of doctors.

“Many community health centers don’t have doctors. In fact, I received a report that Mamberamo Raya Regency in Papua has no specialist doctors,” Minister Budi said during a working meeting with Commission IX in Jakarta on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

He added that the regency also lacks dentists. “Of the 17 community health centers, perhaps 12 don’t have a doctor,” he said. The shortage, Minister Budi noted, has resulted in heavier workloads for doctors across the country. (Misni Parjiati)