Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) highlighted the emergency for health workers in Indonesia. He said that the ratio of doctors in Indonesia was at the level of 0.47 compared to the population in the country. As a result of this very low ratio, many Indonesian citizens ultimately choose to seek treatment abroad.

“There are more than 1 million of our citizens seeking treatment abroad, to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, America, Europe,” said the President while attending National Health Working Meeting at ICE BSD, Tangerang, Wednesday (24/4/2024).

“And we lost US$ 11.5 billion, if converted into rupiah it is Rp 180 T was lost because our citizens did not want to seek treatment domestically. There must be a reason why you don't want to.”

The President realizes that Indonesia has big homework in advancing the health sector in Indonesia. Apart from catching up with the number of doctors, Jokowi said that Indonesia must also encourage the pharmaceutical industry in the country. Moreover, currently most of the raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry are still imported.

“Then 52% of our medical devices (medical equipment) are not yet (produced by ourselves). We must have the courage to produce these small matters ourselves.”

On the same occasion, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin touched on the target for a Golden Indonesia 2024. To achieve this target, he said, an Indonesian society is needed that is strong and healthy.

The Ministry of Health, said Budi, has a health transformation program whose approach involves all sectors to support the achievement of Golden Indonesia 2024.

“The approach must be form-driven movements “where all social capital is knitted together to build a healthy society,” said the Minister of Health.

Referring to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal ratio of the number of doctors, including general practitioners and specialists, is 1/1000 or 1 doctor per 1000 population. If a country succeeds in fulfilling “golden line” then it can be categorized as successful and responsible to its people in the health sector.

The latest figures obtained from WHO and the World Bank, Indonesia's ratio is 0.47/1000. This figure brings Indonesia to the third lowest position in ASEAN after Laos 0.3/1000 and Cambodia 0.42/1000.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(hsy/hsy)