Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia will begin disbursing a monthly incentive of 30 million IDR (roughly 1,800 USD) to doctors working in remote regions, in a bid to reduce healthcare disparities and attract specialist talent to underserved areas.
The programme will initially target 1,100 specialist and sub-specialist doctors employed at regional government-owned health facilities.
Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the incentive has been approved by President Prabowo Subianto and disbursement will begin this month.
Healthcare equity has long been a challenge in Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation where thousands of islands lack access to adequate medical services. Many rural and remote areas struggle to retain or attract qualified medical specialists, creating a stark gap in health outcomes between urban centres and the periphery.
The 30 million IDR monthly allowance - more than double the average civil servant salary and roughly equivalent to the monthly wage of senior specialists in urban private hospitals - is expected to significantly boost morale and recruitment for placements in rural regions.
The programme is part of a broader presidential push to upgrade Indonesia’s healthcare infrastructure, Minister Budi said.
The Indonesian Government has made it a key goal to ensure that each of the country’s 514 regencies and cities has at least one fully equipped hospital./.
