Pribadi Wicaksono (Kontributor), Jakarta – Despite efforts to improve healthcare domestically, a significant number of Indonesians continue to travel abroad for medical treatment.
According to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, the reasons go beyond cost and facility sophistication – patients are often seeking better human-centered care and personalized attention.
"Choosing to seek treatment abroad is not only about facilities or prices, but also about feeling humanized as patients," Minister Budi said at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta on January 8, 2026.
Minister Budi emphasized that patients want doctors who listen, spend sufficient time consulting, and communicate with empathy. Feeling respected and understood, rather than treated as merely a medical case, plays a major role in their decision to seek treatment overseas.
"This is a key challenge for us: increasing hospital capacity must go hand in hand with improving doctors' professionalism and non-technical skills," he said.
Expanding and modernizing domestic facilities
To reduce medical tourism, the Ministry of Health is accelerating the development of hospitals and specialized healthcare facilities across the country. Large hospitals are being built or upgraded in Surabaya, Makassar, Riau, Ambon, Kupang, and the new national capital (IKN).
Specialized centers, such as Mother and Child hospitals and cancer centers, are also in development in major cities. Minister Budi stressed that while modern facilities are important, the quality of patient-centered care remains the priority.
"Communities need medical professionals with strong communication and empathy, backed by adequate facilities, so that patients don't feel the need to go abroad," he said.
The hospital has recently begun constructing the Central Medical Unit (CMU) building, covering 10,043 square meters over 13 floors with two basements, at a cost of Rp 917.97 billion.
The CMU aims to integrate advanced medical services, high-tech equipment, and patient safety systems. Facilities will include robotic and hybrid operating rooms, 3 Tesla MRI, spectral photon-counting CT, stem cell labs, biplane cath labs, 52 emergency beds, 29 operating rooms, 6 cath labs, and 192 ICU beds.
Eniarti, Chief Director of Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, said the CMU will serve as a center for modern, comprehensive, and patient-focused healthcare, aiming to meet international standards while keeping care accessible domestically.