Government Focuses on Improving National Health System Rather Than Just Adding Facilities

2026-08-15

The Indonesian government is currently evaluating strategies to improve the quality of national health services. The main focus of these discussions is not merely on adding physical facilities such as air ambulances or recruiting foreign doctors, but rather on fundamental and comprehensive improvements to the health system.

Health experts argue that bringing in doctors from abroad is not the primary solution to addressing the shortage of medical personnel in remote areas. According to them, the main problems facing Indonesia are the uneven distribution of health workers and referral systems that have not yet functioned optimally in various regions.

Furthermore, while the use of advanced technology such as air ambulances is helpful in emergency situations, the operational costs are very high. The government now prefers to strengthen community health centers (puskesmas) and regional hospitals so that they are capable of handling basic health cases more quickly and efficiently without having to always refer patients to big cities.

These system improvement steps include increasing the capacity of local medical personnel and providing adequate medical equipment throughout the country. By improving workflows and hospital management, it is hoped that the quality of service for the community can increase significantly in the long term.

In conclusion, the government is committed to creating a more independent and robust health system. Focusing on strengthening basic infrastructure and empowering local doctors is considered the most appropriate step to address the current public health challenges in Indonesia.