Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Netty Prasetiyani Aher, highlighted the urgency of improving the management of healthcare workers in Indonesia. According to her, the government's focus so far, which has only been fixated on increasing doctor quotas, will not solve the root of the problem, namely the disparity in access to healthcare services between urban areas and remote regions.
Netty emphasized the importance of a comprehensive mapping of medical personnel needs. This planning must be based on real data, including population size, geographical characteristics, and the disease burden in each region. She assessed that placing doctors in remote areas will not be effective without adequate incentives, career path certainty, and proper working facilities for medical personnel.
In addition to personnel distribution, she also offered critical feedback on healthcare infrastructure development. Netty cautioned that the procurement of hospitals and medical equipment must be based on actual need assessments, so that state investments are not wasted on abandoned facilities in one region while another region suffers from a crisis in basic services.
Responding to digital transformation, Netty welcomed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a supporting instrument in healthcare services. However, she emphasized that technology cannot replace the crucial role of doctors. Clinical decisions, professional judgment, and ethical aspects of communicating with patients remain the absolute responsibility of a medical professional.
Furthermore, she encouraged a paradigm shift in healthcare financing, which must now focus more on promotive and preventive efforts. Focus on primary care, early disease detection, and elderly health management is seen as key to increasing life expectancy while reducing the long-term burden of medical costs.
In closing, Netty stressed the importance of transparent medical audits as a learning tool. Strengthening this governance is expected to create a more accountable and equitable healthcare system, through close collaboration between the central government, regional governments, professional organizations, and societal elements to realize comprehensive healthcare service reform.
