SINGAPORE - In the aftermath of World War II, global leaders came together to establish the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help the world recover from the devastation of war and protect it from future financial crises.
After the Covid-19 pandemic presented us with a global health crisis in the past two years, global citizens are looking to their leaders to revamp global health architecture, said Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on Friday.
Mr Budi said that this was the reason Indonesia decided to push health as a key agenda during its presidency of the Group of 20, which comprises 20 major economies.
Speaking with Singapore's director of Medical Services Kenneth Mak at the Philanthropy Asia Summit held at Shangri-La Singapore in Orchard, Mr Budi said that the protocols have to be determined ahead of the next pandemic.
He added that when a financial crisis occurs, the World Bank and IMF can step in.
During a health crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) can help with policies, but it does not have enough resources to really do more, he said, adding that countries had to handle their own vaccination and therapeutic efforts amid Covid-19.
Mr Budi said there needs to be an agreement on a single genome sequencing network so that information could be shared more easily, and for protocols to be standardised across countries during a pandemic.
For example, when countries are locking down, protocols need to be in place to ensure key essential services and goods can still flow.
Mr Budi also spoke of his priorities for healthcare reform in Indonesia.
There are six prongs in his healthcare reformation plan: primary healthcare, hospital secondary facilities, healthcare system resiliency, healthcare financing, human resources and healthcare technology.
But there are barriers, he noted.
For example, according to WHO standards, one doctor is required for every 1,000 people.
This means another 150,000 doctors are needed across the country, yet Indonesia has been producing only 12,000 doctors a year over the past 10 years, said Mr Budi.
Philanthropists can help to accelerate change and drive support, Mr Budi noted, but it rests on how much they trust in the government of the day.
Mr Budi noted that amid the pandemic, the Temasek Foundation in Singapore was quick in raising funds and procuring oxygen concentrators.
He saw several Indonesians on the list of donors, and approached them only to find out that "there were some trust issues", he said.
The Indonesian government is working to improve its trust and credibility, said Mr Budi.
"Trust is not something you can get, it is something you need to earn... This philanthropic funding is needed... but the trust needs to be earned."
