Jakarta, INTI - The adoption of medical technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, is emerging as one of the key approaches to improving healthcare services in Indonesia. However, implementing these technologies must go hand in hand with strengthening medical professionals' capabilities, ensuring equitable access, and maintaining patient safety.

Technology must also be adopted based on clinical needs to support more accurate medical interventions and improve patient treatment outcomes.

These issues were discussed at the detikcom Leaders Forum, themed "Reimagining Healthcare, Strengthening Indonesia," which brought together perspectives from government representatives, healthcare technology developers, and healthcare providers.

Chairman of the National Committee for Robotics Technology in Healthcare, Ir. Agus Tjahajana Wirakusumah, S.E., M.Sc., IPU, explained that robotic technology can assist doctors in surgical procedures by enabling operations through smaller incisions compared to conventional open surgery.

This approach has the potential to reduce blood loss and accelerate patient recovery. However, such technology cannot replace doctors' medical knowledge and clinical judgment.

"The equipment can primarily help speed up procedures, improve precision, and make outcomes more measurable. However, deciding whether a procedure should be performed and determining its safety remain the responsibility of medical specialists," Agus said at the detikcom Leaders Forum on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

According to Agus, advances in AI could further optimize the use of robotic technology to support medical professionals. Nevertheless, technology cannot completely replace doctors, as every patient has different medical conditions and individual needs.

"Robots are not tools that can do everything. Doctors are the ones who operate them. Doctors have the knowledge, and they use that knowledge to make procedures more efficient," he said.

Agus explained that AI can help collect and compare surgical data stored in cloud-based systems. These datasets can then serve as a basis for AI-generated recommendations on medical procedures that doctors may consider.

"However, it is still not 100% reliable. Statistically, the level of certainty may only reach around 89%. The remaining 10% or so still requires doctors to make the final decisions," he added.

He also emphasized that doctors who use robotic technology must possess the necessary expertise and undergo continuous training.

Therefore, Indonesia needs to establish its own training centers to strengthen doctors' capabilities, including those of junior medical professionals, without having to send large numbers of personnel overseas.

"Currently, training centers are provided abroad, which is fine. However, we cannot possibly send hundreds of our doctors overseas. We must develop our own training centers capable of providing the necessary education," he said.

Siloam Develops AI to Improve Healthcare Service Quality

President Director of Siloam International Hospitals, David Utama, stated that the limited availability of specialist doctors and rising healthcare costs remain significant challenges for Indonesia's healthcare sector.

He believes technology can serve as a key driver in accelerating improvements in the country's healthcare service capabilities.

"To overcome these challenges, the only way for Siloam to make a significant leap forward at this point is through technology," David said.

Since early 2026, Siloam has been developing an AI infrastructure initiative called the Enterprise AI Foundation. The initiative focuses on organizing and integrating patient data by utilizing the hospital network's centralized data infrastructure.

In general, the development aims to support the use of patient data, help doctors maintain consistent treatment standards across the hospital network, and improve hospital operational management, including scheduling, productivity, and inventory management.

This initiative aligns with Siloam's Next Gen transformation strategy through its Hospital of the Future concept, which leverages technology and data to support medical professionals' capabilities, consistent service quality, and patient safety.

Technology is positioned as a supporting tool, while doctors' expertise and clinical judgment remain the foundation of medical decision-making.

"This will become the foundation for Siloam to build the Hospital of the Future. That is our theme: Hospital of the Future. Otherwise, we will not be able to make that leap forward," he said.

David also highlighted that Indonesians spend approximately Rp170 trillion on seeking medical treatment abroad. According to him, this situation is also associated with the need to strengthen public confidence in domestic healthcare services.

"Otherwise, we will fall behind our neighboring countries. Indonesians spend Rp170 trillion on medical treatment overseas. That is an enormous amount," he said.

Indonesia's Health Ministry Highlights the Role of AI in Healthcare

Director General of Advanced Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Azhar Jaya, stated that the adoption of AI in healthcare is inevitable.

The technology can help doctors make more precise diagnoses while also supporting administrative tasks. However, its implementation and recommendations must remain subject to medical professionals' evaluation.

According to Azhar, the government needs to establish regulations governing which AI technologies can be developed or introduced into Indonesia. Allowing technologies to enter the market without proper oversight could create risks, including bias and uncertainty in their application.

"That is why the government uses Health Technology Assessment (HTA) when evaluating a technology. Before it enters Indonesia, we first assess whether we actually need it. What is the need, and what problem are we trying to solve? If it addresses an existing problem and is necessary, then it should be adopted," said Azhar, who is commonly known as Aco.

The government also considers knowledge transfer, covering both human resources and medical equipment.

Azhar emphasized the importance of establishing training centers, as well as dry laboratories and wet laboratories, to ensure that medical professionals are properly prepared to operate advanced technologies.

"Doctors cannot simply start using robotic systems immediately. They need to practice first, including through animal-based training and other procedures. We also need to assess whether technology providers are willing to support human resource development and strengthen domestic capabilities in producing the consumable materials required," he said.

He further noted that limited healthcare human resources remain one of the major challenges that Indonesia needs to address urgently.

The country continues to face a shortage of healthcare professionals, while their distribution remains uneven across different regions.

"The most challenging issue that needs immediate improvement is human resources. They are the people behind the technology. If our human resources are not strong enough, the technology will be of little use. Indonesia still lacks sufficient healthcare professionals, and their distribution is also uneven," he said.

Strengthening medical professionals' competencies, conducting proper technology assessments, and fostering collaboration between the government and healthcare providers are essential to improving service quality and patient safety.

Through skilled medical professionals, needs-based technology adoption, and more accurate diagnosis and treatment, Indonesia's healthcare sector is expected to continue advancing while building greater public confidence in the quality of domestic medical services.

Conclusion

AI and robotics are creating new opportunities to improve Indonesia's healthcare services through more precise medical procedures, better patient data management, and enhanced operational efficiency. However, successful implementation depends on strengthening medical professionals' expertise, expanding training facilities, ensuring equitable access, and establishing appropriate technology assessments. Collaboration between the government and healthcare providers will be essential to ensuring that technological innovation improves patient outcomes while maintaining safety and public trust.

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