Indonesia Seeks India’s Expertise to Tackle Doctor Shortage Amidst Health Cooperation Talks

Prabowo Subianto Seeks Indian Help to Train Indonesian Doctors

President Prabowo Subianto recently spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in Brazil. He asked for India‘s assistance in training more doctors for Indonesia. Prabowo emphasized the importance of strengthening health cooperation between the two countries.

He expressed a desire for Indian doctors to teach in Indonesian medical schools. “We hope to increase the number of Indonesian students studying in India,” Prabowo said. He highlighted the severe shortage of doctors in Indonesia, stating the country needs 160,000 more physicians. Currently, only 8,000 medical students graduate each year.

To address this gap, Prabowo plans to open more medical colleges and suggested that India could send specialists to teach there.

This effort is part of Prabowo’s broader strategy to tackle Indonesia’s doctor shortage. Earlier this year, he discussed a similar initiative with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During that meeting, he mentioned plans to create scholarships for Indonesian youth to study medicine abroad.

In discussions with Modi, Prabowo also shared Indonesia’s openness to foreign hospitals operating in special economic zones (SEZs). “We are expanding our health sector and welcome foreign hospitals to set up branches in Indonesia,” he stated.

Though Modi’s response was not publicized, Indian company Apollo Hospitals has announced plans to invest in the Batam Health Tourism SEZ. This project is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. Indonesian government data indicates that the country attracted nearly $154 million in foreign investment from India in the first nine months of 2024.