Indonesia Health Minister Proposes Cutting Quotas for Medical Schools with High Exam Failure Rates

Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has called for a review of medical faculties that produce a high number of students failing the national doctor competency exam. He proposed that institutions with a significant number of "retakers", graduates who haven't passed the exam and cannot practice medicine, should have their new student quotas reduced until educational quality improves.

"If it turns out they graduate many students, but then they don't pass the competency exam, it means their quotas must be reduced until they truly can improve their educational quality," Sadikin stated during a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission IX on Monday, June 8, 2026.

Data from the Ministry of Health reveals a substantial issue: 63% of retakers have taken the exam fewer than three times, while 37%, nearly 1,000 individuals, have attempted it at least three times without success. An additional 297 students face losing their chance to qualify if they fail again.

Sadikin emphasized that this problem should prompt an evaluation of the educational institutions themselves, arguing they must ensure graduates are competent before taking the exam. He also suggested a more targeted retake policy, allowing students to re-test only the specific competency sections they failed, rather than the entire exam. Furthermore, he proposed reducing fees for retakers, who currently pay 30-50% of tuition and study costs for retakes despite no longer receiving instruction.

The minister stressed the urgency of finding solutions, as the high retaker rate impedes Indonesia's target of producing sufficient doctors. The nation faces a projected shortage of 93,200 general practitioners, making the need for qualified medical professionals critical.