Indonesia Poised to Meet Global Demand for Nurses with Focus on Workforce Development
Indonesia is strategically positioned to address the global nursing shortage, which currently stands at 6.4 million nurses according to the Indonesian Health Ministry. Recognizing this opportunity, the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) are actively working to create a robust regulatory framework to support the placement of Indonesian health workers abroad.
Boosting Remittances and Empowering Professionals
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasizes that sending health workers overseas can significantly improve their quality of life while simultaneously addressing the global need for skilled professionals. For example, Indonesian nurses working in Japan can earn around Rp30 million (US$1,788) per month, while those in Germany earn up to Rp50 million (US$2,981). Despite this attractive potential, Indonesia sends less than 10,000 health workers abroad annually.
“Currently, we only send thousands of health workers abroad, less than 10,000,” said Sadikin, highlighting the need for increased figures.
With 38 health polytechnics run by the Health Ministry, Indonesia has the capacity to train more nurses. Sadikin aims to increase the number of health workers sent abroad to 2,000 per year, eventually reaching 5,000 and 10,000.
Streamlining Procedures and Meeting Global Standards
To facilitate these aspirations, P2MI Minister Abdul Kadir Karding outlined the ministry’s efforts to streamline processes and meet international standards for migrant worker placements. This includes harmonizing health checks with other countries and standardizing their costs across regions.
Karding emphasizes finding innovative financing models that do not burden aspiring migrant workers:
“We are trying to simplify the procedures, similar to other countries. If other countries only require cholesterol and uric acid tests, we do not need to add more stuff,” he added.
In addition, the ministry is focusing on preparing a specialized workforce for specific countries. Karding envisions each polytechnic training workers tailored for different markets, such as Germany or Japan.
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