Head Of BKKBN: The Presence Of Foreign Doctors Referring To Doctors In Indonesia Is Not Slow

Illustration of doctors and health workers (nakes) in hospitals is discussing patient handling. (Gustavo Fring-Pexels)

Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Dr. Hasto Wardoyo said the presence of foreign doctors could spur competition for domestic doctors.

"The presence of foreign doctors is a trigger for doctors in Indonesia not to be slow, so it can be a race too, because usually we live in a comfortable zone, sometimes as doctors, many people live in a comfortable zone, but if there are competitors, it can be different, for example, I am a midwife, there are sophisticated competitors, I will definitely be motivated," said Hasto when met at the BKKBN Jakarta Office, Tuesday, July 16, which was confiscated by Antara.

The obstetrician also explained that the presence of foreign doctors can spur domestic doctors to continue to access training which is also important for services to patients.

"If I'm also of course interested in participating in training too, because if I don't, I can't be accessed by patients," he said.

According to him, the presence of foreign doctors in addition to being able to spur positive competitions, on the other hand also needs to strengthen policies in the form of strict restrictions and regulations so that domestic doctors can also compete in a healthy manner.

In my opinion, there needs to be restrictions, in the sense that they are allowed, but there are strict regulations that ultimately worry the doctors can be maintained. The existence of competitors can indeed spur us, but maybe there is something to worry about if there is unlimited liberalization, I think there will be pluses and minuses," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of Tarukmanagara University, Agustinus Purna Irawan, stated that he agreed that there needed to be restrictions regarding the policy of bringing foreign doctors to Indonesia.

"Every profession has rules for playing, restriction, or code of ethics and so on, but every job can also mix anywhere, specifically in the medical field I think it can be mixed, like it or not, it might happen like what the Head of BKKBN said, so regulations must be carried out through strict restrictions, how can and what can't," he said.

According to him, certain restrictions need to be regulated, so the Government needs to continue to discuss more intensely with the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) and relevant stakeholders when talking about the placement of foreign doctors.

Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the purpose of foreign doctors being brought to Indonesia was not to compete with local doctors.

"It's not a matter of competitiveness, this is a problem of saving the lives of 300 thousand Indonesians who suffered a stroke, 250 thousand who had a heart attack, 6,000 babies who most likely died every year," said Budi.

He explained that for almost 80 years of independence, Indonesia still lacks specialists, and the most empty is dentists.

In addition, he said, distribution was also lacking, such as 65 percent of puskesmas in the Remote Area of the Archipelago Border (DTPK) which experienced a vacancy of nine types of health workers.