Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) has voiced its support for the proposal to grant general practitioners the authority to perform cesarean sections or c-sections under specific circumstances. IDI Chair Slamet Budiarto said that this plan is justifiable for particular situations.
"Especially in very remote areas where access to obstetricians is not possible," he explained when contacted on Saturday, May 17, 2025. He further clarified, "And it is temporary in nature, intended for emergency situations."
Budi emphasized that this plan should only be implemented for a limited time, in accordance with government policy. He views it as a temporary solution to address the lack of obstetricians or gynecologists in certain regions.
Therefore, if a hospital or healthcare facility does not have an obstetrician on staff, a general practitioner could receive specialized training to perform a cesarean section. "If an obstetrician is already available, then this would not be applicable," Budi noted.
In addition to acquiring the necessary surgical skills for cesarean procedures, Budi mentioned that the general practitioner must also be trained in anesthesia administration. However, he cautioned that this should only be permitted in the absence of a qualified anesthetist at the hospital.
In addition to providing technical training, Budi urged the government to offer additional incentives to general practitioners who will be authorized to perform cesarean sections. These incentives could include a supplementary monthly salary or honorarium. "If general practitioners are not provided with adequate compensation, they may be unwilling to do it," he stated.
According to Budi, the plan revealed by the Minister of Health is not new. He also pointed out that this practice is often carried out in other countries facing similar shortages of obstetricians.
Previously, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced his plan to allow general practitioners to handle cesarean deliveries, stating that this initiative was ordered by President Prabowo Subianto.
Minister Budi explained that the Head of State wants the Ministry of Health to open at least 66 hospitals in Indonesia's Foremost, Outermost, Underdeveloped or 3T regions. Some of these remote areas include Nias Island, Taliabu, Kolaka, North Konawe, and the hinterlands of Sumba and Flores.
However, the number of specialist doctors in Indonesia remains far short of demand, making training general practitioners to perform surgery a viable alternative. "So what I ask for is for hundreds of areas that do not have specialist doctors, please equip their general practitioners with life-saving competency," Budi said when met at the Parliament Complex on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Budi shared that this idea originated from numerous reports he received from general practitioners in remote areas. They complained about their inability to act when pregnant women were close to death during childbirth, despite being present.
– Dede Leni Mardianti contributed to the writing of this article.