Deputy Minister: Research and Investment Key to Expanding Health Services

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Vice Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Stella Christie, said research, technology, and investment are key to expanding health services so they can reach more people with good quality.

“If we want health services to have a large-scale impact, the key is to make them accessible, affordable, and accurate,” Stella said in Jakarta on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

She said developing large-scale health services requires more than simply providing healthcare facilities. It requires a continuous process that includes strengthening research, investment, innovation development, and infrastructure.

Stella said the development of health technology must begin with strong knowledge and research. She cited the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), which grew from a strong foundation in knowledge and research into an institution with large-scale investment and technological capabilities.

In Indonesia, Stella cited the National Brain Center Hospital (RSPON) as an example of infrastructure that can support both research development and health services. She said the teaching hospital has also established research partnerships with Singapore and several institutions in the United Kingdom.

Stella said the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has also developed a national research portal containing data on researchers and research findings, including in the health sector. The portal is expected to connect health experts at universities with local governments and industries that need their expertise.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said the Ministry of Health is strengthening health data integration through the Satu Sehat platform, which serves as a personal health record for the public.

Stella emphasized that universities play an important role in building the foundation of knowledge and research that can later be developed into innovations. She said that when research is combined with investment, industry, and appropriate infrastructure, research findings can be developed into technologies and health services that provide broader benefits to the public.

Through stronger collaboration among universities, the government, and industry, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology is encouraging health research to go beyond laboratories and be developed into technologies and services that are accessible, affordable, and accurate for Indonesians.