'Imagine Doctors In Jakarta Operation Patients In Kalimantan,' Deputy Minister Of Health Explains Telerobotics Overcoming Geographical Obstacles

Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono at the Road to Urological Association of Asia (UAA) Congress 2024 press conference in Jakarta/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Health (Wamenkes) Dante Saksono Harbuwono explained that remote operations using robots or telerobotics were able to help with the problem of lack of health human resources and geographical obstacles. The public in remote areas will be helped by this health service. "Friends can imagine the robotic surgery, the operation is in Kalimantan, the doctor is in Jakarta. So he has surgery in Jakarta, the doctor, the patient is in Kalimantan," he said at a press conference at the Road to Urological Association of Asia (UAA) Congress 2024 in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, June 19. Dante explained that telerobotic operations are an example of the use of technology in the health sector which can also suppress health financing. The Deputy Minister of Health said that currently there are around 700 urologists in Indonesia. With a population of about 270 million, he continued, this number does not meet the ratio of specialist doctors, which should be 1 in 1,000 population. On that occasion he explained that uronphrological disease is one of the diseases with a large cost of treatment, in addition to cardiovascular disease. Citing Global Cancer Statistics 2020 data, he said, there were around 13 thousand cases of prostate cancer in Indonesia. "Meanwhile, prostate enlargement disease related to the decrease in hormones in elderly men is also getting higher. That's a figure of 97 thousand cases in Indonesia. So indeed the problem of urology is not simple," he said. Therefore, Deputy Minister of Health Dante welcomed the initiative of the Indonesian Urological Experts Association (InaUA) which is willing to develop technological aspects, one of which is robots for operations, for urological services. President Elect of the Urological Association of Asia (UAA) Ponco Birowo explained that the telerobotic operation trial in Indonesia will be held at the UAA Congress on September 5-8, 2024. "Well, God willing, in September there will be an activity. The doctor is in Nusa Dua, the patient is in Beijing, about 8,500 kilometers," he said. In addition to filling the shortage of surgeons, he said, telerobotic surgery can also increase surgical accuracy, reduce pain, and reduce the risk of infection if patients move from place to place. In addition, he assessed that telerobotic operations are interesting to implement in Indonesia consisting of islands. Ponco menyebut sejumlah negara yang telah mengembangkan teknologi tersebut, seperti China, Jepang, dan India.

He also explained that although the telerobotic operation was a pioneer, it could be applied in various types of operations, such as obstetricity, gestive surgery, and ear, nose, and throat (THT) surgery.