Preventing the Trend of Seeking Medical Treatment Abroad, Minister of Health Supports Jakarta Governor's Plan to Build an International Hospital in Sumber Waras

Minister of Health Budi Sadikin and Governor of DKI Pramono Anung (Diah Ayu/VIO)

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin supports Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung's plan to build an international-standard hospital on land next to Sumber Waras Hospital in West Jakarta.

Budi believes Indonesia still needs high-standard healthcare facilities so that people no longer need to seek treatment abroad for optimal care.

"The Governor proposed the idea of ​​building an international hospital to reduce the number of patients traveling abroad, as Jakarta has a large number of patients traveling abroad," Budi said after meeting with Pramono at the Ministry of Health Building on Jalan Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, on Tuesday, October 28.

Budi assured that his administration would provide full support, including improving the quality of medical personnel and implementing international service standards.

"We support it 100 percent. As Jakarta residents, we want to ensure that if we're sick, we don't have to go abroad; we can just stay here. This aligns with the President's directive. Let's build a good hospital," he said.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung emphasized that the 3.6-hectare land in Sumber Waras is ideal for building an international-standard hospital. Its strategic location and proximity to several major private hospitals are believed to strengthen Jakarta's healthcare ecosystem.

"We will immediately begin preparing for construction. The 3.6-hectare site is very suitable for an international hospital in Jakarta because of its strategic location and proximity to other private hospitals," Pramono said.

Pramono explained that there were two main proposals submitted to the Minister of Health. First, the hospital construction project should be included in the list of National Strategic Projects (PSN) in accordance with Government Regulation Number 42 of 2021.

"We hope this can be approved as a PSN to facilitate the planning and funding processes," he said.

Second, the Jakarta Provincial Government is requesting support from the Ministry of Health in providing international-standard medical equipment.

"Although the Jakarta Provincial Government will construct it, we hope the Ministry of Health can assist with the equipment," Pramono said.

In addition to regulatory and facility support, Pramono is also preparing a creative funding scheme for the project. He mentioned that one alternative is to use the IDR 10 trillion in central government funds deposited in Bank Jakarta.

"If the IDR 10 trillion from the Ministry of Finance goes into Bank Jakarta, it can be used to build this hospital. The scheme remains transparent and business-oriented," he explained.

Pramono added that if the project is approved as a National Strategic Project (PSN), the central government can play a direct role in the construction of the Type A hospital. The Jakarta Provincial Government is also open to cross-agency collaboration to expedite its implementation.

"Most importantly, since this has received the attention of the central government, we are ready to discuss various cooperation schemes so that construction can begin immediately," Pramono said.