Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Health is strengthening the standardization of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) and improving the management of hospital emergency departments to improve their preparedness for natural disasters and medical emergencies.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Tuesday that the initiative is in line with Indonesia’s position as the country with the second-highest number of disasters recorded globally.
“Hence, we should have EMTs with WHO standards, from level 1 to level 2, distributed equally in regions and integrated with the accreditation criteria for regional public hospitals on every island,” Sadikin stated.
As the ministry recorded at least 52 natural disaster-triggered health crises as of September 2026, the minister said that his side has prepared 38,418 reserve health workers nationally.
The ministry is also continuing to facilitate EMT certification in line with WHO standards as achieved by the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC).
Meanwhile, Sadikin said the ministry would reform the management of emergency departments in hospitals to ensure that patients requiring emergency care could immediately receive intensive appropriate treatment without being delayed by internal bureaucratic procedures.
The reform includes changes to residency training in emergency departments, the centralization of hospital bed management, the provision of basic medical equipment, and revisions to the diagnosis-related group (DRG) system under BPJS Kesehatan to better support medical personnel.
Related news: Expert warns of health risks from Anak Krakatau ash
“We aim to reduce emergency patients’ waiting times as much as possible,” he added.
The reform gained professional support, with Indonesian Society of Emergency Physicians (PDEI) Chairperson Wishnu Pramudito highlighting reforms in emergency departments as reflecting the progress in Indonesia’s healthcare services.
“We target our emergency department services to be on par with hospitals in major cities, such as New York or London, in 10 years,” he said.
However, Pramudito said the reforms should be accompanied by efforts to address the shortage of emergency medicine specialists in Indonesia, where the current number of 66 specialists remains far below the ideal requirement of 1,034.
He also highlighted the need to provide basic first-aid education to the public and in schools, as a person’s chances of survival following a medical emergency are often determined within the first few minutes at the scene of an incident.
Related news: Ministry sends 160 health workers to NTT for earthquake trauma care
Translator: Mecca Yumna, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
Copyright © ANTARA 2026