Suryastri Boni, CTO, Health Technology Transformation and Digitalisation Team, Ministry of Health, Indonesia

1. How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive?

We believe that digital transformation can only succeed when technology and policy move in harmony. Every digital development is accompanied by clear, measurable, and compliant supporting regulations. 

The policy-making process follows formal mechanisms that prioritise public participation and involve cross-ministerial teams, academics, healthcare professionals, associations, and the wider community. 

We ensure that every digital health product can be accessed by all Indonesians, including those living in remote areas. Digital services are designed with considerations for affordability, accessibility, digital literacy, data security, and privacy.

Through strong policy alignment and purposeful technology, digital transformation in the health sector can progress more rapidly, more equitably, and more sustainably, so that all Indonesians can benefit. 

2. What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better? 

I have seen first-hand how digitalisation brings major improvements for the public, from faster access to services and simpler administrative processes to improved transparency.

Technology enables people to receive services without long journeys or complicated procedures. Real-time data collected from healthcare facilities nationwide provides tremendous value. 

With standardised and nationally integrated data, policymakers can now design policies based on evidence, not assumptions. 

The most meaningful moment in my career was witnessing the real impact of the systems we built across the entire health ecosystem – benefitting healthcare workers, health facilities, national and regional governments – and ultimately improving the lives of citizens. 

3. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public?  

National Health Screening Platform (Free Health Screening Programme) 

In just 11 months, the National Health Screening Platform has served more than 60 million patients across over 10,500 facilities and 160,000 schools. It has generated 2.4 billion examination results, with 30–50 parameters per individual and currently serves around 500,000 patients daily.

The platform enables early detection, real-time monitoring of population health, and registration through SATUSEHAT. 

Health Workforce Management (SATUSEHAT SDMK) 

Managing over 3 million healthcare workers, processing 1.8 million Registration Certificates (STR) and 300,000 Practice Licences (SIP) digitally - within fewer than seven days - and integrating with other systems through single sign-on.  

Master Data Management (MSI, KFA, MPI, MNI) 

A central repository for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare facilities. It ensures data consistency, regulatory standards, and interoperability across the health ecosystem.

Supply Chain Monitoring (SATUSEHAT Logistics) 

A system tracking distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical devices end-to-end to monitor stock availability in every health facility. Currently in the early phase of implementation.

National Procurement and Spending Monitoring (LKPP) 

Near real-time monitoring of national spending on pharmaceuticals and medical devices, supporting fiscal transparency and operational efficiency. 

4. What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people? 

The most important lesson I learned this year is that digital transformation never stands alone. It only works when supported by strong collaboration across all units – national and regional – and a shared understanding of the direction of change.

We also learned that digital transformation requires a very strong foundation. Key foundations include: 

• Standardised master data, enabling systems to speak the same language, reducing duplication, and ensuring data integrity 
• Process and architectural standardisation, making integration between applications and institutions much easier. 
• Supporting regulations and policies, so that innovation aligns with the law and provides legal certainty. 

Without these foundations, innovation becomes fragmented. Alongside collaboration and shared vision, digital transformation can scale sustainably. 

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5. We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy?  

AI can enhance public services when the government sets clear competency standards, ensures data quality, and adheres to ethical AI principles. With these foundations, AI can support service personalisation, accelerate decision-making, increase efficiency, and expand access safely and responsibly for all. 

6. How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year?  

We design the national health system architecture to be adaptive, modular, and scalable, allowing it to evolve alongside technological developments without compromising system stability. The principles guiding this are scalability, interoperability, and security-by-design.

We are also running the Health Sandbox as a controlled environment to test new technologies. The Sandbox ensures that every innovation meets safety standards, regulatory compliance, public benefit requirements, and integration of readiness.  

This ensures that Indonesia’s digital health transformation not only keeps pace with change but actively shapes it safely, measurably, and sustainably. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens?  

Understand the regulations and policies from the outset, as the public sector carries enormous responsibility. Equally important, keep alive the passion that your work impacts more than 270 million Indonesians. This is the greatest motivation for working in public service. 

8. Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector?

I am inspired by the late Sister Francesco Marianti, who lived by the spirit of serviam – serving selflessly. She taught discipline, integrity, and sincerity regardless of the challenge. 

She also taught the importance of fikir – the ability to think clearly, deeply, and reflectively before acting. Fikir is not merely intellectual ability, but wisdom: understanding context, recognising others’ needs, and considering long-term impact. 

From her, I learned that public service is not merely administrative—it is a reflective process: serving with compassion while thinking wisely and responsibly. These values guide me in designing technology policies. 

9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be?  

My dream project would be building a fully Integrated National Health Service Platform that unifies all components of the health system – facilities, healthcare workers, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, financing, and household-level services—into one secure, accessible digital ecosystem.

This platform would rely on full interoperability, allowing national and regional institutions, public and private, to exchange data seamlessly under common standards. 

With strong national interoperability, citizens would no longer need physical documents or repeated tests, and healthcare workers would have complete information to deliver the best care. 

The platform would also use AI responsibly for: 

• Clinical decision support 
• Early detection based on population patterns 
• Personalised services 
• More precise financing and logistics planning 
• Real-time population health risk analysis 

With end-to-end integration and advanced technology, Indonesia can build a health ecosystem that is holistic, sustainable, inclusive, and beneficial for generations. 

10. Outside tech, what excites you the most? 

I truly enjoy traveling and exploring culinary traditions. Travelling allows me to understand local cultures, lifestyles, and values. Through food, I experience the stories, history, and identity of a place – things that data or technology alone cannot capture. 

These experiences help me see the world more humanely and enrich how I approach public service: recognising that each community has unique needs, contexts, and identities that must be respected.

Travelling and culinary exploration are not just hobbies. They are sources of inspiration that help me design technology that is more inclusive, humane, and relevant.