Indonesia Strengthens Health Transformation Through Collaboration with Singaporean Government
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: The Health Ministry of Indonesia has intensified efforts towards health transformation through collaborative initiatives with the Singaporean government, particularly in the health human resource development sector.
Siti Nadia Tarmizi, Head of the Public Communication and Service Bureau at the ministry, disclosed this development during a statement delivered on Tuesday.
Tarmizi underscored that the recent discussions between President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the Leaders’ Retreat at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Monday (April 29) focused on cooperation to enhance the capacity of medical personnel and promote the digitalization of health services.
“The enhancement of skills among health human resources is a key aspect of the Indonesia-Singapore cooperation,” she remarked.
In a previous engagement on March 29, Tarmizi revealed that the Indonesian Health Ministry convened a meeting with the Singapore Medical Council to explore aspects such as the recognition system of overseas educational institutions, skill evaluation mechanisms, and delineation of roles between the medical council and collegium in Singapore.
Furthermore, on March 5, a delegation comprising representatives from the Indonesian Health Development Policy Agency and the ministry’s Directorate General of Pharmacy and Medical Devices visited Singapore’s Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) to study the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) framework in Singapore.
“This visit was aimed at gaining insights into Health Technology Assessment (HTA) practices in Singapore,” Tarmizi stated.
Additionally, in January 2024, officials from the Directorate General of Pharmacy and Medical Devices engaged with the Singaporean Ministry of Health to deliberate on the development of specialist pharmacists and facilitation of access to innovative drugs in Singapore.
Highlighting another facet of collaboration, Tarmizi mentioned the “health diaspora meeting” convened by Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin in November 2023 in Singapore. The meeting aimed to facilitate the deployment of Indonesian nurses to Singapore through the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) scheme.
Tarmizi emphasized that Indonesia and Singapore have also solidified an agreement on the Sister Hospital program, also known as the hospital assistance program, aimed at enhancing the competency of medical personnel in Indonesia.
