Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Professor Ova Emilia, held a meeting with the Rector of Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Professor Akhmad Sodiq, and the Rector of Universitas Diponegoro, Professor Suharnomo, in the executive meeting room at the UGM Central Building last Friday (Feb. 13). The meeting, which was also attended by representatives from the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), aimed to ensure the readiness of the Sekar Purwo project management system—an integrated health innovation center developed through collaboration among the three universities’ academic hospitals, known in Indonesia as Rumah Sakit Perguruan Tinggi Negeri (RS PTN).
As is known, Academic Hospitals (RSA) or RS PTN serve as facilities that support academics’ community engagement efforts. RS PTN are not only responsible for providing healthcare services but also carry out missions in community service, research, and innovation that cannot be replaced by the Ministry of Health.
Ova stated that synergy between the government and academia is essential to develop infrastructure and asset management systems to support a more relevant and comprehensive healthcare service system, ultimately benefiting the public. Ova noted that the Sekar Purwo project can serve as an embryo, with gradual development focused on providing services to communities in Yogyakarta and Central Java.
“Currently, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has 33 RS PTN, which is remarkable. There must be a special task force under it, or a consortium-type body, to help manage these healthcare facilities. Moreover, universities have human resources that contribute to various research initiatives within the Ministry of Health,” she said.
Sekar Purwo was initiated through a Foreign Loan and Grant (PHLN) submitted on behalf of the three universities and has been running since early 2026. The project outputs include the construction of service buildings, research and development facilities, the establishment of an integrated database, and medical equipment that has not yet undergone mass clinical trials, distributed across each university. The meeting aimed to justify how the three campuses can maintain governance to ensure the sustainability of this collaboration.
Vice Rector for Research, Business Development, and Partnerships, Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, stated that Sekar Purwo will collaborate with universities in the United Kingdom to develop a more prepared and mature operational system.
“We are selecting a lender and will work together to build a research ecosystem with universities in the United Kingdom while establishing strategic collaboration,” he said.
Within Yogyakarta and Central Java, approximately 37 million people are targeted to be served by the three RS PTN. Therefore, synergy among the three universities is crucial to ensure the smooth management of Sekar Purwo and to guarantee that this partnership remains continuous and sustainable. As a result, medical service standards at university-managed hospitals are expected to improve in scalability and operational efficiency, providing better healthcare services for the community.
Writer: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Firsto