Nabire (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Central Papua Province will fund medical scholarships for 35 indigenous Papuan students to address doctor shortages and improve healthcare access in remote communities, a provincial health official said Friday.
Kristianus Tebai, head of health resources at the Central Papua Health Office, said the scholarships cover 20 places for general practitioners and dentists, 10 for specialist doctors, and five for subspecialists.
“We have mapped our physician needs. At present, we require 35 doctors, including general practitioners, specialists, dentists and subspecialists,” Tebai said in Nabire.
Applicants are free to take entrance examinations at state universities of their choice, including Gadjah Mada University, Hasanuddin University, the University of Indonesia and Cenderawasih University, he said.
Once applicants secure admission, the Health Office will verify their enrollment before submitting scholarship funding proposals to the Central Papua Education Office, Tebai said.
“After the information is verified, we will forward it to the Education Office,” he said, adding that universities will first submit admission data for confirmation.
The scholarship scheme is among the priorities of Central Papua Governor Meki Nawipa to increase the number of indigenous Papuan doctors and expand healthcare services across underserved and isolated areas, Tebai said.
The program is intended to enable indigenous Papuan students to qualify as general practitioners and specialists, helping distribute healthcare workers more evenly throughout the province, particularly in remote communities, he added.
Three scholarship recipients have already been admitted to Cenderawasih University to study medicine after completing the selection process between May and July 2026, while another intake is scheduled for September.
Tebai urged the governments of Central Papua’s eight districts to establish their own medical scholarship and doctor training programs to ensure a sustainable supply of healthcare professionals.
He said district administrations should share responsibility for financing medical education instead of relying solely on the provincial government because Central Papua’s vast territory requires more doctors to serve remote populations.
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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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