Prabowo’s First Year in Office: 43 Million Indonesians Receive Free Health Checkups
Key Takeaways
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto says 43 million Indonesians have participated in the Free Health Checkup program, marking a historic milestone for the nation since the initiative began in early 2025.
He made the statement during a plenary cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Oct 20, 2025, coinciding with the first anniversary of his administration.
“Some 43 million people have taken advantage of the free health checkup program. I believe this is the first time in our history that every citizen has the right to receive a free medical checkup once a year on their birthday,” Prabowo said.
Through the Free Health Checkup initiative, or CKG, the government aims to detect diseases early so they can be treated immediately. Prabowo noted that one of the most common health issues discovered so far concerns dental problems.
“Although this also presents a major challenge for us, because the results show that most of our people have dental issues,” he explained.
The President emphasized that Indonesia must produce more dentists and medical professionals to meet public needs. He acknowledged the country’s critical shortage of both general practitioners and specialists.
“We know we are severely short of general practitioners. If I’m not mistaken, we are short of more than 140,000 doctors. We also lack specialists,” Prabowo said.
“This is a challenge not only for us. Almost every country I’ve visited and consulted with their governments admits that they too lack doctors,” he added.
Prabowo pointed out that wealthy nations such as the United Kingdom can afford to recruit doctors from abroad with high salaries to fill their gaps — a strategy Indonesia cannot easily replicate.
Therefore, he stressed, Indonesia’s national education policy must be adjusted to address the shortage. One solution is to expand the number of medical faculties and increase student enrollment in existing ones.
“Our education policy must be adjusted. We need to add more medical faculties, and those that already exist must admit more students,” he said.
“If necessary, we can increase the number of scholarships. Perhaps the LPDP scholarship program should prioritize medical education at the top of its list,” Prabowo concluded.
Data from the BPJS Health Research and Development Center show that non-communicable diseases remain the dominant cause of high healthcare spending in Indonesia. As of December 2024, heart disease accounted for the largest portion of financing at Rp 19.25 trillion, followed by cancer at Rp 6.49 trillion and stroke at Rp 5.82 trillion.
The findings underscore the urgency of early detection and preventive care — key objectives of President Prabowo Subianto’s Free Health Checkup program. By identifying chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart problems earlier, the government aims to reduce long-term healthcare costs and improve the population’s overall well-being.