Jakarta, Aug. 27 -- President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to establish 30 new medical faculties at universities across Indonesia to address the growing shortage of medical practitioners in the country.

"I target to open 30 new medical faculties, God willing, to address the shortage of 70,000 specialists and 140,000 general practitioners," the president stated while inaugurating the Mahar Mardjono National Brain Hospital here on Tuesday (August 26).

The government will also introduce 148 new study programs at 57 medical faculties this year, comprising 125 specialist programmes and 23 sub-specialist programmes, he added.

"We need to increase the number of medical students and graduates," he emphasised.

However, even if Indonesia succes...