YOGYAKARTA — UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta is advancing plans to open a Medical Faculty as Indonesia faces a shortage of doctors and the province records the country’s highest proportion of elderly residents.

The university hosted a field evaluation on March 11, 2026, for its proposed Undergraduate Medical Program and Medical Professional Education Program, a key step in the national approval process.

Yogyakarta’s elderly population accounts for about 16 percent of residents, above the national average of around 12 percent, increasing the prevalence of age-related health conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders affecting mobility among seniors.

Indonesia also continues to face challenges in meeting demand for medical professionals, with the doctor-to-population ratio remaining below the recommended standard and unevenly distributed across regions.

Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan said the planned Medical Faculty is part of the university’s broader academic transformation.

“The establishment of this faculty will mark an important step in UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s journey toward becoming a research-oriented university contributing to science and humanity,” he said.

The proposed program integrates modern medical science with Islamic values, spirituality, and humanitarian ethics, while emphasizing preventive and promotive approaches to musculoskeletal health, particularly among elderly populations.

Deny Kurniawan, Head of the Subdirectorate for Higher Education Institutional Development at Indonesia’s Directorate General of Higher Education, said the initiative could help expand access to medical education and address the uneven distribution of doctors across the country.