UNIVERSITAS BATAM HOSTS LAUNCH OF SPECIALIST MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (PPDS)

Batam — Universitas Batam (UNIBA) hosted the national inauguration of the Specialist Medical Education Program (PPDS), held jointly with Universitas Andalas, Universitas Riau, and Universitas Sriwijaya, on Monday (2/10/2026), at the Graha Bintang Building, Universitas Batam. This milestone marks a shared commitment among the institutions to expand access to specialist medical education and strengthen the delivery of medical education at the regional level.

On this occasion, Universitas Batam officially inaugurated the opening of its Specialist Medical Education Program as an important milestone in strengthening its strategic role as a higher education institution contributing to the development of specialist physician human resources, particularly in the Sumatra region and Riau Islands Province.

Through its Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Batam launched four Specialist Physician Study Programs: Primary Care Family Medicine Specialist (Sp.KKLP), Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist (Sp.OG), Surgery Specialist (Sp.B), and Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Specialist (Sp.An). The opening of these programs is expected to expand access to advanced education for general practitioners while supporting a more equitable distribution of specialist physicians across regions.

The inauguration ceremony began with a report from the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Batam, dr. Fachrul Jamal, Sp.An., KIC, who stated that this milestone is also part of a national collaboration among four universities: Universitas Andalas, Universitas Sriwijaya, Universitas Riau, and Universitas Batam. He affirmed that the launch of UNIBA's PPDS is a concrete step aligned with the healthcare service needs of Batam City. UNIBA, he added, is committed to maintaining national academic standards and producing specialist physicians who are professional, of high integrity, empathetic, and oriented toward community service.

Meanwhile, the Rector of Universitas Batam, Prof. Dr. Ir. Samsul Rizal, M.Eng., IPU., ASEAN Eng., in his remarks expressed appreciation and gratitude to the mentoring universities—Universitas Padjadjaran, Universitas Andalas, and Universitas Syiah Kuala—as well as for the ongoing support from LLDIKTI Region XVII. He highlighted the continuing imbalance in the distribution of specialist physicians, who remain concentrated on the island of Java, noting that the presence of UNIBA's PPDS is expected to help meet the need for specialist physicians in the Riau Islands region, particularly in the fields of surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesiology, ENT, pediatrics, and primary care family medicine.

A representative from LLDIKTI Region XVII, speaking at the same event, extended the highest appreciation to Universitas Batam for its success in launching four specialist physician study programs. He noted that UNIBA's Bachelor of Medicine and Medical Professional Study Programs have achieved "Excellent" (Unggul) accreditation, supported by institutional readiness, a competency-based curriculum, adequate facilities and infrastructure, and its own teaching hospital. Amid Indonesia's ongoing shortage of specialist physicians and the uneven distribution of medical personnel—particularly in archipelagic regions—the presence of UNIBA's PPDS was regarded as a strategic step in addressing national needs.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Mayor of Batam affirmed that the presence of higher education institutions in Batam makes a significant contribution to the region's educational development. He expressed hope that with the presence of the PPDS at Universitas Batam, medical education graduates would be able to continue their studies through to the specialist physician level along a linear pathway, contributing directly to improving healthcare services in Batam City.

During the same event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Cooperation Agreement (PKS) were also signed between Universitas Batam and the Batam City Government. The MoU was signed by the Rector of Universitas Batam and the Mayor of Batam, while the Cooperation Agreement was signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Batam and the Batam City Health Office. This collaboration represents a strategic synergy in the development of education, healthcare services, and human resource development in Batam City.