April 21, 2025 | 08:48 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has announced a sweeping overhaul of Indonesia’s specialist medical education system, particularly within the Health Ministry’s state-run (vertical) hospitals. He stressed the need for reforms across recruitment, teaching mechanisms, and trainee welfare.
“We want to ensure that the quality and work culture of specialist doctors are properly developed, not just their technical skills,” Budi said during a hybrid press conference at the Health Ministry office in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Monday, April 21.
As part of the changes, Budi emphasized that psychological testing should become a mandatory requirement in the selection process for the Specialist Medical Education Program (PPDS). He considers this essential for assessing mental readiness ahead of the program’s rigorous demands. He also urged transparent selection practices to prevent favoritism.
His response came as a response to recent reports of physical and sexual abuse within the PPDS program.
Budi said he had received complaints that hospital teaching is often handled by senior students instead of official medical consultants. This, he warned, compromises the quality of education. He cited models in developed countries where consultants directly conduct the training, with all activities monitored through digital systems.
He also instructed teaching hospitals to strictly enforce working hour regulations. Criticizing the common culture of excessive workloads under the guise of 'mental training.' "If trainees work overtime today, they must be given time off tomorrow. Fatigue must not be allowed to damage their mental health," he said.
Additionally, Budi called for an end to non-medical assignments for PPDS participants, such as transporting patients or delivering medicine. Duties, he said, should be handled by other hospital staff and not be part of specialist training.
He proposed that regular communication forums be established so trainees can report their conditions directly to hospital leaders. "I will find time to meet them. Their physical and mental well-being must be closely monitored," Budi added.
The Minister also addressed the financial burden PPDS participants face, as they currently pay for their education without receiving salaries. To ease this pressure, he proposed granting them general practitioner licenses (SIP) so they can earn income by practicing outside training hours.
"In other countries, specialist trainees are paid. This is what we are trying to reform in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology," he said. "With proper scheduling, they can work as general practitioners and reduce their financial strain."
The minister stated that these directives would be implemented in all Health Ministry-run teaching hospitals. Budi expressed hope that a reform will address structural problems in the training of specialist doctors and ultimately improve the quality of healthcare services in Indonesia.
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