Jakarta, Oct. 20 -- President Prabowo Subianto said his government will prioritize medical students for scholarships under the Finance Ministry's Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) to address Indonesia's severe shortage of general practitioners and specialist doctors.

Chairing a Cabinet Plenary Meeting marking one year of his administration at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Prabowo said Indonesia faces a deficit of more than 140,000 general practitioners nationwide.

"We are short of general practitioners - over 140,000 - and thousands of specialists," he said. "This is a serious problem that must be solved immediately."

He noted that several countries he had visited were also dealing with doctor shortages. However, deve...