Indonesia to Dispatch 27 Physicians Overseas for Cardiology Expertise Amid Rising Mortality Rates
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Jakarta, Jan 8 (NationPress) The Indonesian government has revealed its initiative to send 25 physicians to China and two physicians to Japan to advance their proficiency in addressing cardiovascular diseases, which rank as the leading cause of death in Indonesia.
The Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated on Monday that cardiovascular diseases account for approximately 500,000 fatalities annually in the nation. A key factor contributing to this elevated mortality rate is the lack of heart specialists proficient in interventional cardiology, according to reports from Xinhua news agency.
"There are merely 30 to 50 training slots available each year within Indonesia. This is the reason we are sending physicians abroad," Budi mentioned.
He underscored that this program is a vital measure aimed at curtailing the deaths attributed to these ailments. "Cardiovascular disease is the foremost cause of mortality. We must swiftly establish services to assist hundreds of thousands of patients," he asserted.
Budi further stressed the significance of the "golden period" in treating cardiovascular conditions.
This term denotes the crucial timeframe during which medical interventions may be conducted to ensure optimal treatment and avert complications. For heart attacks, this golden period spans two hours following symptom onset, while for strokes, it is one hour.
He noted that the limited availability of doctors and the uneven distribution of medical facilities across various regions could impede emergency responses for cardiovascular patients.
The initiative to send physicians to China and Japan forms part of a fellowship program coordinated by the Indonesian Health Ministry and the Education Fund Management Institute.
In the previous year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) expressed alarm over Indonesia's distressing postpartum maternal mortality rate, which reached 189 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
This statistic is significantly higher compared to other Southeast Asian nations, such as Singapore with seven deaths, Thailand with 29, and Vietnam with 46 per 100,000 births.
