The Health Ministry is keen to drive growth of medical specialists to meet the needs of Indonesians by providing scholarships.

President Director of the Harapan Kita Heart and Vascular Center Hospital Dr Iwan Dakota, Sp. JP (K), MARS, FIHA said that his administration and the ministry had searched for data on the demand for medical infrastructure to meet the needs of patients throughout Indonesia.

“There are two scholarships, from the Directorate General of Health Workers Tubel and LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education),” Dakota noted here on Friday.

Dakota’s side has accrued data from several hospitals in Indonesia to obtain information on the number of cardiologists required as well as the amount of money needed for training.

The Health Ministry has committed to increasing the quota for domestic and international scholarships for doctors and specialist doctors.

Earlier, only 200 to 300 scholarships were available. In 2022, the figure increased to 1,500 scholarships per year.

The ministry is also promoting hospital-based medical education. This effort was pursued by tweaking the specialist medical education system; initially university-based, though it is now improved with hospitals as the ones to transfer knowledge.

Dakota said that the Harapan Kita Heart and Vascular Center Hospital was a facilitator for accompanying and transfering knowledge and skills to cardiologists and surgeons at heart health centers in every province.

The needs are not only medical devices but also human resources, for which the quantity and quality should be increased.

The annual event of the Indonesian Cardiology Intervention Association (PIKI) — containing workshops, symposiums, and exhibitions — is expected to improve the skills and knowledge of medical workers.

Source: Antara News