YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s Ministry of Health has conducted an on-site review of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta as the country’s oldest State Islamic University advances plans to establish a Faculty of Medicine, a move aligned with national efforts to address the country’s chronic shortage of doctors.

The visit, held on July 12, 2025, assessed the university’s institutional readiness, human resources, and clinical infrastructure prior to the issuance of a formal recommendation for the faculty’s establishment. The review was conducted amid mounting pressure on Indonesia’s healthcare system to expand and redistribute its medical workforce.

The delegation was led by Anna Kurniati, Director for Health Workforce Provision at the Ministry of Health, and included senior officials from the Indonesian Health Council, regional health authorities, national police medical services, and executives from accredited teaching hospitals. Representatives from Diponegoro University (UNDIP)—Indonesia’s leading public medical school and UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s official mentoring partner—also took part.

Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan said the initiative reflects long-term institutional planning rather than rapid expansion.
“UIN Sunan Kalijaga has a strong academic baseline as Indonesia’s oldest Islamic higher education institution,” he said. “This Faculty of Medicine is designed to address degenerative diseases through promotive and preventive approaches, integrating medical science with Islamic values and spiritual ethics.”

Ministry officials stressed that the proposed faculty responds directly to national priorities. Indonesia continues to face a doctor-to-population ratio below international benchmarks, a gap mirrored globally, according to the World Health Organization.

“We are not dealing with ambition without calculation,” Anna Kurniati said. “Indonesia urgently needs more doctors—distributed more evenly across regions. This initiative is aligned with the President’s directive to accelerate the establishment of medical faculties while maintaining strict quality standards.”

She added that quality assurance must begin at the earliest stages of curriculum design and delivery. “This visit is not just about documents. It is about verifying real-world readiness. Based on what we have seen, we are confident in reporting our findings to the Minister of Health for further consideration.”

Chair of the Indonesian Health Council drg. Arianti Anaya underscored the strategic importance of graduate deployment beyond Java and Bali, where doctors remain heavily concentrated.
“Opening a medical faculty is a long-term commitment,” she said. “It is ultimately about patient safety, professional competence, and national health resilience. Speed must not compromise standards.”

During the visit, university leaders presented academic frameworks, faculty recruitment plans, and hospital partnerships, followed by inspections of anatomy laboratories and supporting facilities. Teaching hospitals with full accreditation were confirmed as clinical partners.

UNDIP representatives provided technical oversight, reinforcing curriculum alignment with national competency standards and professional licensing requirements.

University officials said the review marks a critical milestone toward formal approval. If endorsed, the Faculty of Medicine will aim to produce physicians with strong clinical skills, ethical grounding, and a commitment to serving underserved regions.

“This is not merely institutional growth,” Prof. Noorhaidi said. “It is a strategic contribution to Indonesia’s healthcare future.