In his speech at the Salemba Bergerak Free Forum, the former TNI Health Center Chief accused the Ministry of Health’s policy of creating serious vulnerabilities to national health resilience.
JAKARTA – ASWINNEWS.COM Maj. Gen. TNI (ret.) dr. Budiman, SpBP-RE, former Head of the TNI Health Center and Coordinator of the Wisma Atlet Kemayoran Covid-19 Emergency Hospital, delivered sharp criticism of the current direction of the Ministry of Health’s policy.
In his speech at the Salemba Bergerak Free Forum event, which was held to commemorate the 117th National Awakening Day at the IMERI Hall, FKUI, May 23, 2025, he assessed that the national health transformation actually weakened the country’s resilience system.
“Our health resilience is under threat, and what threatens it is not external enemies, but policies that do not favor professionalism,” Budiman emphasized in front of health workers and academics.
According to him, the Minister of Health has built a public narrative that is hostile to medical personnel, who have been at the forefront of dealing with the pandemic and various other health crises.
“How can we win the battle against disease if our own commander in chief insults his troops?” he said loudly.
Policy Without Dialogue, Quality Becomes the Victim Budiman also highlighted the policy of opening a new medical faculty without thorough study and involvement of stakeholders such as colleges and universities. He considered this step would reduce the quality of Indonesian doctors and create inequality in health services.
“This is not just about education, this is about national resilience. Health soldiers must be trained to the highest standards,” he said.
He also questioned the hospital-based specialist education strategy which was considered to have no systemic basis and only burdened hospitals. Budiman likened it to the inappropriate use of force in a military strategy.
Narrative Inequality and the Threat of Commercialization Furthermore, Budiman criticized the medical tourism policy which was developed simultaneously with the weakening of the reputation of local doctors. On the one hand, the government wants to attract foreign patients to Indonesia, but on the other hand, it actually undermines the national medical system and personnel.
Not only that, he called the tendency to open access for foreign hospitals and foreign health workers without strict screening as a form of negligence towards the country’s sovereignty.
“In the military world, there is no compromise on security. In health, the same principle should apply: no compromise for the safety of the people,” he said.
Call for Strategic Reorientation In closing his speech, Budiman called for five concrete steps, including rebuilding a strategic dialogue between the Ministry of Health and stakeholders, stopping the liberalization of medical education, and evaluating health transformation independently.
He also suggested rotating leadership if a commander has lost the trust of his troops.
“Health is the nation’s foremost defense. And without policies that support quality, safety, and professionalism, no national resilience can be built.”
Author: Ine
Editor: Kenzo Redaksi Aswinnews.com – Sharp, Accurate, Trusted, Balanced, and Updated
