VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A member of the House of Representatives (DPR), Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, after a hearing with a health professional organization at the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on May 10, 2023. (ANTARA/DPR) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : The recruitment of specialist and sub-specialist doctors from overseas is expected to improve health services, considering they are still lacking in Indonesia, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR), Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, has said.

"We should view that this is part of improving the quality of health services in the country," he stated in a broadcast on the parliament's Youtube channel, which was accessed from here on Thursday.

Foreign doctors could also become partners of domestic general practitioners, specialists, and sub-specialist doctors, he added.

The recruitment of foreign doctors will be carried out strictly by referring to requirements laid down in Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health.

Earlier, House member Irma Suryani Chaniago said that her side can guarantee that the policy of bringing foreign doctors into Indonesia will not be implemented in an arbitrary way.

"We cannot allow foreign doctors to enter Indonesia arbitrarily," she added.

She said that foreign doctor recruitment will need to meet a number of requirements in the Health Law.

"Ask them (the public) to read this law so that they understand that the prerequisites for recruiting foreign doctors are clear, strict, and firm. There are rules that must be met, so there is no need to worry," she added.

Article 248 of the Health Law states that "medical personnel and health workers of foreign nationality who graduated abroad can carry out medical practice in Indonesia only as specialist and sub-specialist personnel or other certain levels."

They will also need to undergo administrative assessment and competency evaluation before being recruited.

The competency evaluation will be carried out by the Minister of Health by involving ministers overseeing the fields of education, advisory, and collegium//Antara - VOI