Java’s dominance in Indonesia’s medical landscape is undeniable. With four of the five provinces housing the most doctors located on this island, Java alone accounts for over 54% of the national population and over half of the total healthcare professionals.
The Geographic and Economic Divide
This concentration is largely driven by economic gravity and infrastructure. Java is home to the country’s largest urban centers: Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya. These cities offer better hospitals, specialist clinics, universities, and research facilities, creating an ecosystem that naturally attracts and retains medical professionals.
Doctors are also drawn by financial incentives. Urban areas offer higher patient volumes, better pay, and access to private practice opportunities. In contrast, rural and eastern regions offer fewer career pathways, limited professional development, and lower living standards.
The result is an oversupply of doctors in Java while remote provinces struggle with chronic shortages. Jakarta, for instance, has over 33,000 doctors, while entire provinces like North Maluku and South Papua have fewer than 700.
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To address this disparity, policymakers need to adopt decentralized health workforce strategies. These could include scholarships tied to rural placements, investments in regional health infrastructure, and the use of mobile clinics and telemedicine.
Java’s dominance may be a natural consequence of development, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of equitable healthcare access across the archipelago.
Ayasha is a Business Analyst at Central Insight. Before her role at Central Insight, she was a Business Analyst Intern at a leading marketing consultancy in Indonesia, where she played an active role in various end-to-end research projects within the Government and Public Services sector, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In her current position, she is responsible for gathering relevant data, conducting in-depth analyses, and delivering insightful reports. Ayasha holds a Bachelor of Business Management in International Business from the University of Queensland, where she received recognition for her outstanding academic achievements.
Ayasha is a Business Analyst at Central Insight. Before her role at Central Insight, she was a Business Analyst Intern at a leading marketing consultancy in Indonesia, where she played an active role in various end-to-end research projects within the Government and Public Services sector, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In her current position, she is responsible for gathering relevant data, conducting in-depth analyses, and delivering insightful reports. Ayasha holds a Bachelor of Business Management in International Business from the University of Queensland, where she received recognition for her outstanding academic achievements.
