The presence of health vocational schools stirred a polemics among community. The future of such schools is not clear. “Previously, people were familiar with nurse schools, but now many health vocational schools have been established after getting approval from Health Agency in Regency/Municipality level, while we at the Health Ministry are confused because such schools have long been terminated,” Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. dr. Ali Ghufron Mukti, M.Sc., Ph.D, said in Jogja Plaza Hotel, Thursday (22/11) during the National Seminar Optimalisation of Dental & Oral Health Agents in Improving National Health Level.
Said Ali Ghufron, it is no problem for those studying at vocational highschools with the motivation to be able to improve human health condition. But those who want a job will have uncertainties as there is no nomenclature regulating it. “Philosophically, there are students who understand this clearly, but still there are others who orientate toward jobs. Meanwhile, dental nursing is clearly required, but there is some problem here, because what is required is those with D3 certificate at the minimum,” he said.
The deputy minister said that the vocational school issue could become a time bomb. With 400 schools with 40-100 students in each will definitely create problems. “Therefore, in the future we need synchronisation with stakeholders while the government can hope for input,” he added.
Dean of Faculty of Dentistry UGM, Dr. Erwan Sugiatno, drg., M.S., SpPros(K), said health problems keep evolving from communicable diseases to degenerative. This would implicate health system development, particularly health workers provision for dental and oral health. “Indonesia still has the problem of high dental caries and periodontal and the low level of awareness to maintain dental and oral health,” he said. Another thing, the Dean said, is the increase of senior people in number. Approach and solution, therefore, need to be further analysed by involving the correct science that would produce an effective, efficient and on-target solution.