Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made a working visit to Bali on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, during which his main task was to preside over the inauguration of the Bali International Hotel (BIH) located in the Sanur Special Economic Zone (SEZ). During the visit, the President also officially opened the Ngoerah Sun Wellness and Aesthetic Center located at Denpasar’s General Hospital – The Professor Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah Hospital.
The Presidential Aircraft (PK-GRD) landed in Bali at 10:00 a.m., flying from Jakarta’s Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport. In announcing the trip, the President’s Office Press Secretary quoted by NusaBali.com said: “The working visit of President Prabowo to Bali is not only to emphasize the government’s focus on the health sector, but also to strengthen Bali’s position as a strategic destination, elevating the Island’s public services to an international standard.”
Supporting a Transformation in Medical Services
Bali International Hospital (BIH) is part of a strategic national project that has been in operation since 14 April 2025. BIH stands on a 67,465 square meter plot. The hospital features 255 patient beds.
Situated on a site once occupied by the former Bali Beach Golf Course, the hospital resides on the main thoroughfare of Jalan Ngurah Rai Bypass in the Sanur Village Community.
During its initial operating period, BIH handled 19 patients undergoing complete medical check-ups (MCU) and 14 patients requiring emergency and critical care services.
The state-of-the-art medical facility features cardiology care, cancer treatment, gastroenterology, and orthopedics (CONGO).
The entire Sanur Special Economic Zone (SEZ) encompasses 41.26 hectares and is targeted to attract investment totalling Rp. 10.2 trillion. Developers estimate the SEZ will employ 43,647 direct and indirect workers.
The BIH Hospital is intended to attract patients who formerly sought medical care overseas to now undergo treatment in Bali. BIH is targeting to serve between 123,000 and 240,000 patients by 2030. This level of patient traffic is calculated to save Indonesia some Rp. 86 trillion in foreign exchange and supplement foreign exchange spending by Rp. 19.6 trillion through 2025.
In the President’s opening address, he stated his wish that BIH would serve both Indonesian and foreign patients from Southeast Asia and the Pacific. President Prabowo sees the SEZ in Sanur as an economic and health breakthrough, operating as Indonesia’s first special economic zone dedicated to the health sector. The President thanked all parties involved in creating the SEZ, especially former Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and the investors in pioneering the Sanur Health Project.
“I think (the Sanur KEK) is a breakthrough for the first time in our republic, we have initiated, or created a special economic zone for world-class, international-class health services,” said President Prabowo during his opening address.
In the same speech, President Prabowo emphasized that the Sanur Health Special Economic Zone is a breakthrough in the national health sector. The President said the Sanur Health Special Economic Zone needs to be emulated by other segments of society. “Indonesia is a country that wants to develop rapidly. We must catch up with other nations. We cannot use old methods, inefficient methods, wasteful methods, improper management,” said the President.
Continuing, President Prabowo said the Indonesian people demand an efficient government, good service, and accountability for all public expenditures.
President Prabowo said that Indonesia, as a developing country with a vision of becoming a developed country, must have the best health facilities that all Indonesians can be proud of, and of a world-class standard.
“When I first saw the Bali International Hospital, it was extraordinary. When I entered, I thought it was a hotel. Indeed, the hospital has a hotel feel. The floors are marble. I mean, Indonesia is a big country, a developed, dynamic country, so we also have to have the best facilities,” said President Prabowo.
In the signing ceremony for the cornerstone at the Sanur Health Special Economic Zone and Bali International Hospital, President Prabowo was accompanied by Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Investment and the Downstream Economy/CEO of Danantara Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. Also present were the Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises/COO of Danantara Dony Oskaria, Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Enik Ermawati alias Ni Luh Puspa, and the ranks of BUMN president directors from InJourney, and Pertamina.
Separately, the Minister for State-owned Enterprises (BUMN), Erick Thohir, said the Special Economic Zone and the Bali International Hospital (BIH) in Sanur, Bali, present opportunities to attract and retain foreign exchange that otherwise would have flowed overseas. “Two million Indonesians seek medical treatment abroad each year. This causes a foreign reserve outflow of Rp. 150 trillion annually.
Thohir said that Indonesia is a large and advanced nation that deserves and needs to stand on its own two feet, particularly in the health sector. “Of course, health independence is one of the challenges ahead,” he said. He commented that the average age of an Indonesian is 30.4 years old, an age still considered young and productive. However, as Indonesians age, so will the challenges of the increasingly heavy burden for the state to maintain public health as a whole.
For this reason, the Ministry of SOEs initiated the development of the Health Special Economic Zone, including combining tourism and international standard hospitals. On the other hand, Erick also explained that the realization of the area was due to synergy between ministries and institutions, including operational licenses, providing foreign doctors’ permits, and sophisticated equipment at BIH.
On the same day that he inaugurated the Bali International Hospital, President Prabowo also officially opened a Health and Esthetics Center – Ngoerah Sun Wellness and Aesthetic Center located at the Professor Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar.
Related Links
Bali International Hospital Website
Four Foreign Doctors Now Practicing at BIH
BIH Allowed to Dispense Restricted Drugs
BIH Gearing Up for Expert Medical Care
BIH Won’t Accept BPJS Medical Insurance
BIH Seeks Indonesian Diaspora Doctors
Mayo Clinic Clarifies its Role at BIH
Seeking Global Talent for Bali Hospital
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