Main Meeting Room, FK Online News – The Faculty of Medicine (FK) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta affirmed its readiness to expand its community service contributions beyond the island of Java. This commitment was realized, among other things, through a cooperation agreement with the Government of South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, aimed at strengthening human resources (HR), particularly in the health sector, held at the Main Meeting Room of the Rectorate Building on Tuesday (8/10/2026).
The event was attended by the Rector of UIN Jakarta, Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, M.A., Ph.D.; the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Tholabi, S.Ag., S.H., M.H., M.A.; the Vice Rector for Cooperation, Din Wahid, M.A., Ph.D.; the Regent of South Halmahera, Hasan Ali Bassam Kasuba, S.Pd.I., M.I.Kom.; the Head of the South Halmahera Health Office, Asia Hasyim, SKM., M.Kes.; the Secretary of the South Halmahera Regional Development Planning Agency (Bapperida), Martha Hadinata, S.Pi., M.Pi.; as well as the Dean of FK UIN Jakarta, Dr. dr. Achmad Zaki, M.Epid., Sp.OT., FICS.; the Vice Dean, drg. Laifa Annisa Hendarmin, Ph.D.; and members of the FK UIN Jakarta academic community.
The Rector of UIN Jakarta, Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, stated that this cooperation is an important part of efforts to prepare human resources that align with the needs of communities and regions. According to him, universities have a strategic role in ensuring the availability of human resources capable of addressing development challenges across various regions of Indonesia.
"This cooperation is an important part of it — most importantly, how we prepare human resources. Because human resources require regeneration; without it, they will decline and be left behind," he said.
He affirmed that UIN Jakarta is ready to prepare human resources in accordance with needs on the ground, including in the field of medicine. This opens up opportunities for FK UIN Jakarta to contribute further to health development in regions that require support from professional healthcare workers.
"We will prepare accordingly, based on the needs on the ground, including in medicine — we are ready to provide that as well," he continued.
Ready to Serve in Island Regions
The Dean of FK UIN Jakarta, Dr. dr. Achmad Zaki, affirmed the faculty's readiness to contribute directly to the Government of South Halmahera Regency. According to him, the formalized cooperation can serve as a gateway for FK UIN Jakarta to provide various forms of community service tailored to the needs of the local population.
"FK can contribute to the South Halmahera Regional Government. This support can be formalized so that it can contribute directly," he stated.
This readiness is not limited to the deployment or development of healthcare personnel. FK UIN Jakarta also opens opportunities for collaboration in research, particularly community health research that can identify health issues based on the characteristics of the population and conditions in South Halmahera.
"Also research — community health research," Dr. Zaki added.
He noted that FK UIN Jakarta's position as a medical education institution also enables the development of sustained cooperation in education, research, and community service. As such, the faculty's contribution need not be limited to a single event, but can be developed into a program that addresses community health needs over the long term.
FK UIN Jakarta's readiness to serve beyond Java becomes increasingly relevant given South Halmahera's geographic condition as an archipelagic region. Equitable healthcare distribution in the area still faces a number of challenges, particularly in terms of access and the availability of healthcare workers.
The Regent of South Halmahera, Hasan Ali Bassam Kasuba, M.I.Kom., stated that one of the issues faced by communities in his region is limited access to healthcare services. The inter-island geographic conditions mean that healthcare services require adequate human resources and facility support.
"The challenge in North Maluku is affordable access, minimal and inconsistent data, as we still need specialist and general practitioners to meet healthcare access needs. Healthcare facilities there are still very limited, between islands. There is a shortage of human resources," he explained.
For this reason, according to Hasan, collaboration with educational institutions is needed to prepare human resources suited to the needs of the region.
"Preparing the human resources that are needed," he affirmed.
Community Service, Research, and Strengthening Specialist Doctors
Beyond community service, this cooperation also opens up opportunities for research development in the health sector. FK UIN Jakarta can contribute through community health research grounded in the real issues faced by communities in South Halmahera.
Dr. Zaki also shared updates on the development of FK UIN Jakarta's Pulmonology Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS), which has entered its final phase. The development of this program is expected to strengthen FK UIN Jakarta's capacity to produce specialist doctors who can later provide services while serving the community.
"The pulmonology specialist program has entered its final phase, so that graduates can go directly into community service," he said.
For FK UIN Jakarta, the cooperation with the Government of South Halmahera Regency represents one form of expanding its community service amid healthcare needs that extend beyond urban areas or the island of Java. This collaboration also serves as a space for the academic community to bring medical knowledge closer to communities in the regions.
(AAS/NIS)