Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, August 31, 2026 at 08:23 AM

Govt launches 25 new specialist doctors programs to curb shortage

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Genta Tenri M, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced the issuance of operational permits for 25 new specialist doctor education programs (PPDS) at hospitals in several regions across Indonesia.

Dudung explained that the initiative aims to increase the number of specialist doctors to 55,712 and distribute them across 481 districts and cities, particularly in regions outside Java and eastern Indonesia.

"The government has just concluded a ministerial-level meeting marking the ratification and handover of decrees granting operational permits for 25 new study programs, namely specialist doctor education programs (PPDS), at primary teaching hospitals (RSPPU)," he said at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

He said the issuance of operational permits for the 25 new specialist medical education programs followed President Prabowo Subianto's directive and was part of his Astacita program.

He added that the achievement reflected the government's efforts to address bottlenecks that have hampered efforts to increase the number of specialist doctors nationwide.

These challenges included inconsistent regulations and competing interests among relevant ministries and institutions.

"In the last two months, we have successfully overcome regulatory and bureaucratic obstacles," he said.

According to Dudung, Deputy III of the Presidential Staff Office has overseen efforts to increase the number of specialist doctors since July 2026.

Previously, efforts to meet the country's need for specialist doctors had faced a structural impasse due to differences in policies governing the higher education and medical education ecosystems.

In response to the issue, the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) coordinated with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs to facilitate reconciliation by leading coordination meetings and monitoring expert panel and plenary sessions.

Dudung said the series of coordination and diplomatic efforts successfully bridged differences between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

As a result, 25 operational permits for PPDS programs were officially issued Monday as part of Phase I of the 2026 program.

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