Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 5, 2026.(Xinhua/Cen Yunpeng)
JAKARTA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said that health cooperation between Indonesia and China has covered a wide range of areas and is moving "in the right direction," showing broad prospects for future cooperation.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, the minister said the two countries have been working together for many years, and that the health cooperation has so far covered almost "every aspect," including clinical services, clinical management, artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology.
He visited China in March, during which the two sides discussed deepening cooperation in digital and smart health, human resources, among other areas.
The minister said the cooperation covers not only medical equipment and technology, but also efforts to improve healthcare capacity, especially the training of medical professionals, citing as an example Indonesian cardiologists trained in Chinese hospitals in interventional cardiology.
He said Indonesia is expanding cardiac emergency services to more cities by installing catheterization laboratories, but the expansion also requires doctors with specialized skills to operate the equipment and perform the procedures.
Some Indonesian doctors trained in China have returned and are now able to carry out procedures that can help save lives, Budi said.
The minister highlighted advanced medical technology as another important area of cooperation with China, including biotechnology, AI and robotics. He said cooperation in these fields, together with medical talent training, could bring greater benefits to Indonesia's healthcare system.
On the use of AI in healthcare, Budi said he had seen China embracing AI in its national healthcare system, showing how the technology could be applied across the sector.
He said AI applications in healthcare are wide-ranging, from drug development and clinical procedures to administrative efficiency, citing examples such as AI-assisted tuberculosis (TB) detection through digital X-rays and automated medical record systems.
Budi said AI would help improve doctors' capacity and knowledge, adding that while AI will not replace medical professionals, "doctors who use AI will definitely replace doctors who are not using AI."
He also pointed to public health as another area for bilateral cooperation, particularly in TB control, saying China had made significant progress in reducing TB incidence despite its massive population.
He attributed China's success to strong disease monitoring systems and effective treatment strategies, which Indonesia is seeking to learn from.
Looking ahead, the minister said continued collaboration with China in AI, biotechnology and medical training, among other areas, could support future healthcare development that focuses not only on curing disease, but also on keeping people healthy. ■
