Minister Urges Halt to New Medical Faculties, Focus on Producing More Doctors

JAKARTA, investortrust.id – Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro has called for a temporary freeze on the establishment of new medical faculties, emphasizing the need to prioritize producing more doctors over creating additional programs.

"We need to temporarily halt the opening of new medical faculties. What we urgently require are more doctors, not more faculties," Satryo said following a coordination meeting at the Ministry of Population and Family Development office in Jakarta on Monday, January 13, 2025.

Satryo suggested that universities with established medical programs should focus on increasing their intake of medical students to address the growing demand for healthcare professionals.

"If we need more doctors, the logical step is to ask existing universities to expand their quotas rather than setting up new faculties," he added.

Despite this recommendation, several public universities have recently ventured into medical education. In 2023, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya and IPB University in Bogor opened new medical faculties.

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) in Bandung and Universitas Negeri Surabaya also launched medical programs the same year, reflecting a trend that Satryo believes should be reconsidered to streamline resources and enhance efficiency in addressing the nation’s healthcare needs.