February 25, 2026 | 05:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia is accelerating efforts to fill the shortage of medical specialists and subspecialists. A total of 160 new study programs, comprising 128 medical specialist and 32 subspecialist education programs with a combined quota of 8,650 seats, will open this year. Prospective students may study free of charge until graduation, provided they fulfill a service bond with the scholarship provider.
Tri Hanggono Achmad, Chairperson of the Task Force for Accelerating Access and Quality Improvement of Medical and Health Personnel Higher Education, stated that these new specialist programs will open in 11 provinces. This marks the first time medical faculties at both public and private universities in these regions will offer such specialties.
The participating campuses include Universitas Jambi, Universitas Bengkulu, Universitas Batam, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Universitas Tanjung Pura, Universitas Palangkaraya, Universitas Tadulako, Universitas Halu Uleo, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Universitas Patimura, and Universitas Cenderawasih.
Meanwhile, according to Tri, the 32 new subspecialist programs will be hosted by well-established universities with existing specialist curricula. These are generally autonomous state universities (PTNBH), including Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Padjadjaran, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Universitas Diponegoro, Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Universitas Sriwijaya, and Universitas Hasanuddin.
"This subspecialist education not only boosts the number of doctors but also meets the demand for educators, as specialist-level lecturers must hold subspecialty qualifications," Tri told Tempo on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
The initiative to open these new study programs was launched by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education on July 22, 2025. This move aligns with President Prabowo Subianto's state of the nation address during the People's Consultative Assembly annual session on August 15, 2025.
Prabowo previously noted that Indonesia lacks 70,000 medical specialists and 140,000 general practitioners. Tri attributed this shortage largely to issues of educational access. "There are several barriers to access, ranging from the limited number of existing educational centers to high costs," said the former medical faculty dean and ex-Rector of Unpad.
Tri noted that specialist study programs are now available in nearly every province. The rollout is based on Ministry of Health priorities, focusing on seven essential hospital specialties: surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, internal medicine, anesthesia, radiology, and clinical pathology.
"The opening is targeted for the even semester this March; they have already begun accepting new students," he added.
Regarding the 160 newly established programs, Tri explained that capacity is tailored to the specific needs of regional hospitals. For instance, if a university opens an obstetrics specialty with a quota of four, the prospective students are already guaranteed placement in specific hospitals upon completion.
"If prospective students are unwilling to be placed, they cannot register," Tri stated. He believes this bond system is a viable solution to the over-concentration of specialists in urban centers.
For students who agree to the service bond, tuition fees will be fully covered by scholarships. Tri mentioned that funding may come from government hospitals, private entities, or local governments, such as in Maluku, which intends to utilize regional specialist expertise. Other funding may be sourced from the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP), though amounts remain limited. Under the initial study contracts, students who breach their scholarship agreements will face sanctions.
He stated that this acceleration program will increase the annual intake of new specialist students by 60 percent over the regular average of 5,000. Tri expressed optimism that demand will remain high, as medical schools graduate approximately 12,000 individuals annually, and the deficit is projected to persist until 2028. Consequently, the future outlook suggests medical schools will increasingly prioritize specialist programs. "The need is immense; it is impossible for these specialist programs to lack interest," he concluded.
Read: Indonesia Aims to Install Hundreds of Modern Medical Devices by 2027
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