The Ministry of Health is endeavoring to realize equity in the oncology workforce in Indonesia through the use of health service digital technology, the ministry’s official, Dr Wiwi Ambarwati, stated at a webinar on Tuesday.
Ambarwati highlighted that this strategy will comprise the expansion of telemedicine services and implementation of the electronic medical recording application wherein collected individual data could be analyzed for meeting the needs of the health sector.
Preparations concerning the regulation on digitalization of health services and also the formation of the Digital Transformation Office aim to help people get access to health services more easily, she stated.
The Digital Transformation Office’s primary program is an individual-based health data in which everyone in Indonesia can get access to their medical records traced since birth, she revealed.
This medical record will also be integrated, so that it can be analyzed for the purpose of health services, such as the type of human resources required and development of facilities and infrastructure, Ambarwati elaborated.
The other program is streamlining the health service. The number of systems will be reduced through harmonization and the digital business process, she explained.
This would allow health workers to focus on providing the best health services to people, she stated.
The ministry is also engaged in telemedicine development that can provide a facility for health workers seeking consultation with hospitals at a more broader level.
For instance, community health centers (puskesmas) can consult with district hospitals for electrocardiography if they are not able to read the USG, she noted.
Currently, 217 surgical oncologists in Indonesia are spread out across 28 provinces. Six provinces still do not have surgical oncologists.
Meanwhile, the number of hematology oncologists reaches 139 and the number of radiation oncologists is at 118 doctors.
“Currently, the number of human resources in the field of health is decreasing. This is the primary challenge,” Ambarwati stated.
Source: Antara News