Govt Plans to Ease Entry of Foreign Doctors Objected by Medical Graduates

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Medical Students joined in the Indonesian Foreign Medical Association (perluni) in China objected to the plan presented by Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan who signalled easing foreign doctors’ practice license in Indonesia.

“How can the practice permit for foreign doctors be eased while Indonesian doctors graduating from international medical schools have to work hard to medically practice in Indonesia,” said the Perluni chairperson in China, Adi Putra Korompis to Antara on Tuesday, September 29.

Indonesian doctors graduating from foreign schools must undergo stringent processes and equalization requirements before they are legally allowed to medically practice domestically. They must also undergo an adaptation period in Indonesian universities for a maximum of one year as a general practitioner and two years for medical specialists. 

The duration of the adaptation program is also heavily dependent on campus regulation and doctors must cover their own expenses during these periods. 

“The lengthy and complicated processes of this adaptation program caused many who graduated from overseas to think twice before deciding to chase a medical practice in Indonesia,” said Adi. 

Perluni asked the Indonesian government to pay more attention towards this issue and better empower Indonesian doctors who graduated from foreign countries as they claim many of these doctors are accomplished ones and show intent to serve their country.

“They want to return to serve the country but are faced with many adaptation processes and bureaucracy that are greatly time consuming,” said Adi who is completing his medical education at Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.

Read: IDI: Hundreds of People May Lose Medical Services as 115 Doctors Died

ANTARA