In Indonesia, veterinary medicine has been practiced for hundreds of years. Veterinary services and education were pioneered during the Dutch colonial era. As of 2023, there are 12 universities that offer veterinary education. The professional organization for veterinarians is the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (PDHI).
Some veterinarians in Indonesia open their own practices, either independently or in groups. Others work for the Government of Indonesia, private companies, or non-profit organizations. They provide medical services, consulting, research, and teaching. Some veterinarians also become entrepreneurs in fields related to animal health, such as in the animal drug industry, livestock, and animal food processing. The motto of Indonesian veterinarians is "manusya mriga satwa sewaka", which means "serving human welfare through the animal world."
Education Bachelor's degree In Indonesia, veterinary education is pursued at the university level. Undergraduate education (S1) typically spans eight semesters. Upon completion of this stage, one is awarded a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (S.K.H.) degree. As of 2024, there are 13 universities in Indonesia with veterinary faculties or study programs, which are collectively affiliated with the Association of Indonesian Veterinary Medicine Faculties (AFKHI). These universities are: Syiah Kuala University (USK) — Banda Aceh, Aceh Riau University (Unri) — Pekanbaru, Riau State University of Padang (UNP) — Bukittinggi, West Sumatra IPB University (IPB) — Bogor, Jawa Barat Padjadjaran University (Unpad) — Bandung, Jawa Barat Gadjah Mada University (UGM) — Sleman, Yogyakarta Airlangga University (Unair) — Surabaya, Jawa Timur Wijaya Kusuma University, Surabaya (UWKS) — Surabaya, Jawa Timur Brawijaya University (UB) — Malang, Jawa Timur Udayana University (Unud) — Denpasar, Bali Mandalika University of Education (Undikma) — Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat Hasanuddin University (Unhas) — Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan Nusa Cendana University (Undana) — Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur
Professional education After obtaining a bachelor's degree, individuals can pursue professional education (co-assistance), which requires a minimum of two semesters. The national curriculum for the veterinary professional program encompasses veterinary pathology, internal medicine, surgery, veterinary public health, veterinary reproduction, laboratory diagnosis, and is complemented with off-campus activities, such as internships or fieldwork practices. Following the completion of all co-assistance stages, individuals who pass the judiciary process will take a veterinary oath before attaining the title of veterinarian (drh). Starting in 2021, the Competency Examination for Veterinary Professional Education Student (UKMPPDH) has been established as an exit exam and is one of the graduation requirements for obtaining a National Certificate of Veterinary Competency.
Postgraduate education Several universities offer postgraduate education in veterinary science at both master's (S2) and doctoral (S3) levels. However, the study programs and concentrations available may vary. For instance, at the master's level, UGM offers a Veterinary Science Study Program with six specializations and one concentration, IPB offers an Animal Biomedical Sciences Master's Study Program with six specializations, Unair offers four study programs, Unud offers a Master's Study Program in Veterinary Medicine, while Unsyiah offers a Veterinary Public Health Master's Study Program. Meanwhile, doctoral programs are available at IPB, UGM, and Unair.
Veterinary specialist In Indonesia, there is no formal veterinary professional education program for specialist. However, AFKHI and PDHI have planned specialized education programs for surgery, radiology, internal medicine, pathology, laboratory animals, and reproduction.
Veterinary practice
Veterinary science is practiced by veterinarians and, to a more limited extent, by the bachelors of veterinary science and veterinary paramedics. All three are classified as animal health workers. The number of veterinarians in Indonesia ranges from 15 thousand to 20 thousand people.
The domain of work for veterinarians can be viewed from various perspectives. Based on the type of animals they serve, veterinarians can provide care for pets, livestock, and wild animals. Pet owners and enthusiasts, including those who own dogs, cats, birds, and even exotic pet animals like snakes and iguanas, recognize the importance of animal health and therefore seek the services of a veterinarian. Livestock, which refers to animals kept for economic purposes, such as a source of food, industrial raw materials, or as aids in human labor, must be kept in good health. Food derived from sick animals can lead to health problems in humans. Therefore, the health of livestock sector animals such as cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, and ducks, as well as fish and shrimp in the fisheries sector, falls under the supervision of veterinarians. As for wild animals, veterinarians are responsible for their health to ensure their survival and sustainability. Protected animals like Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants, rhinos, clouded leopards, and sun bears are often injured due to poaching and require veterinary care.
In the public or government sector, veterinarians with civil servant status can work as medical veterinarian or quarantine veterinarian. Both of these are functional roles exclusively held by veterinarians. In addition to this, government veterinarians can also work as lecturers, researchers, and in other positions that require veterinary knowledge and expertise. In the private sector, aside from practicing in veterinary clinics or animal hospitals, veterinarians are involved in various industries, such as animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals, and food safety.
Professional organization
In Indonesia, the professional organization for veterinarians is the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (PDHI). This organization was established on January 9, 1953, in Lembang, West Java. However, the precursor to this organization existed during the Dutch colonial era, specifically in 1884, under the name of the Dutch East Indies Veterinary Medicine Association. PDHI has 53 branches across all provinces in Indonesia and oversees 20 non-territorial organizations that cater to veterinarians with similar interests, skills, or fields of work. For example, the Indonesian Quarantine Veterinarian Association (IDHKI) and the Indonesian Association of Small Animal Practitioner Veterinarians (ADHPHKI) are included in this network. The motto of Indonesian veterinarians is "manusya mriga animal sewaka," a Sanskrit phrase that translates to "serving human welfare through the animal world".
History The period before independence 1800s Veterinary medicine was practiced during the Dutch colonial era, beginning in 1820 when R.A. Coppicters, a veterinarian from the Netherlands, arrived in the Dutch East Indies. He was responsible for the care of animals that held significance for the Dutch colonial government, such as the horses used by the military troops. During this time, those who practiced veterinary medicine were referred to as "vee arts," which literally translates to "livestock doctor." This term indicated that animals like dogs, cats, and wild animals were not considered part of the realm of veterinary service.
The government institution responsible for veterinary affairs was established in 1841, initially named the Veterinary Medicine Service (Veeartsenijkundige Dienst), and later renamed the Civil Veterinary Medicine Service (Burgerlijke Veeartsenijkundige Dienst) in 1853. In 1851, several Dutch veterinarians were documented in Indonesia. The limited number of veterinarians at the time resulted in suboptimal services. From 1853 to 1869, only three veterinarians served the entire island of Java, with one located in West Java, another in Central Java, and a third in East Java. It wasn't until 1869 that two veterinarians were stationed outside of Java: one in Sumatra and one in Sulawesi.
In 1861, the Dutch established a veterinary school named the Inlandsche Veeartsen School (IVS) in Surabaya. Dr. J. van der Weide served as the head of this school. The school provided a two-year education program for native Indonesians (bumiputras) as students. However, IVS ceased operations in 1875 after producing only eight bumiputra veterinarians (inlandsche veearts) over the course of nine years.
Following the closure of IVS, from 1875 to 1880, education took the form of an internship with a government veterinarian (gouvernements veearts) in Purwokerto. Nine native youths underwent internships under the guidance of seven government veterinarians, and eight of them graduated in 1880. Shortly after, the Dutch East Indies experienced outbreaks of various animal diseases, beginning with rinderpest in 1875, followed by anthrax and hemorrhagic septicemia in 1884, surra in 1886, and foot-and-mouth disease in 1887. Rabies, a lethal disease affecting both animals and humans, was first reported in 1884 in a buffalo. The disease was then discovered in dogs in 1889 and in humans in 1894. In response to these outbreaks, the first veterinary organization was established in 1884 under the name the Dutch East Indies Veterinary Association (Nederland-Indische Vereeniging voor Diergeneeskunde).
There was a proposal to integrate veterinary education with medical education at STOVIA (School of Indian Medical Education), which was put forward by the Director of the Civil Service Department (Binnenlands Bestuur). Although this idea was approved by the Minister of Colonial Affairs (Minister van Kuncien) in the Netherlands, it was not implemented due to objections raised by the Director of the Department of Education, Worship, and Crafts (Onderwijs, Eeredienst en Nijverheid) and the director of STOVIA.
1900–1945 The presence of rabies led the Dutch East Indies Government to enact several ordinances (regulations) concerning the rabid dog disease. One example is Gazette (Staatsblad) of 1906 Number 283, which required dog owners to report the number of their dogs, provide identification in the form of a medal, and pay dog tax. Meanwhile, the first regulation specifically addressing animal health is Gazette of 1912 Number 432 regarding the Review of Provisions concerning Government Supervision in the Animal Sector and Animal Police. This ordinance covered various aspects, including the management of institutions handling animal affairs, the authority of the government in the export and import of animals to prevent disease spread, the regulation of veterinary authorities, and the eradication of infectious animal diseases.
Veterinary authority or the medical authority of veterinarians was regulated in Gazette of 1912 Number 432 Article 34 Paragraph 1 which, when translated, states: "The veterinary authority, or veeartsnijkundige, is inherent to veterinarians after graduating from a veterinary faculty in Indonesia or in the Netherlands." Additionally, Gazette of 1915 Number 732, which ratified the Criminal Code, also addressed animals. According to Gazette No. 432 and the Criminal Code, the definition of livestock only included ruminants, one-toed animals, and pigs, which meant that veterinarians, more specifically livestock doctors, focused their attention solely on these animals.