He served as Minister of Health during the Guided Democracy period, between 1959 and 1966, and as General Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross between 1970 and 1982.

When the Japanese occupation forces set up the Ika Daigaku medical school, Satrio was appointed to head the anatomy department.

[4] During the Indonesian National Revolution, Satrio joined the newly formed Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), where he led the fast response team and commandeered motor vehicles to evacuate wounded soldiers during sporadic fighting in Jakarta whilst also training new medical staff.

[13] During his tenure, the healthcare ethics committee was formed (November 1959),[14] and laws were passed which set the ministry's powers, along with arranging quarantine for ports of entry, disease outbreaks, general hygiene and the pharmaceutical industry.

[18] With Indonesia's growing population, during the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation period of the early 1960s, Satrio also launched an "Operation to Eradicate Ignorance in Nutrition" to reduce the impact of nutrition-related diseases.

[23] Aside from establishing the institution and recruiting the necessary personnel, Satrio worked on medical insurance for service members, and was involved in the family planning program.

[25] His tenure included activities in then newly annexed East Timor,[26] and humanitarian missions for Vietnamese boat people at Galang Island.