Accused of Missing 28 Days of Work, Dr Piprim Basarah Speaks Out to Explain the Root of the Matter
Jakarta, VIVA – Paediatric cardiologist and chairman of the Indonesian Paediatric Association (IDAI), Dr Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, has spoken out regarding the reasons behind his dismissal as a civil servant within the Ministry of Health. According to the Ministry, Dr Piprim was sacked for being absent from work for 28 consecutive days at Fatmawati Central Hospital in Jakarta.
"Why was I absent for 28 days? This absence of 28 days has become the primary grounds for a serious disciplinary violation, which then led to my dismissal," said Dr Piprim in a video uploaded to his Instagram account on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.
In the video, Dr Piprim also touched upon his transfer from RSCM (Cipto Mangunkusumo Central Hospital) to Fatmawati Central Hospital at the end of March 2025. He revealed that a "win-win solution" had in fact been proposed involving both Fatmawati and RSCM regarding his transfer.
According to him, the development of paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati could have been achieved without fully transferring him from RSCM.
"If the objective was to develop paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati, I did not need to be transferred. Give me an assignment letter for one or two days at Fatmawati and three days at RSCM, so that I could continue to serve my patients at RSCM, continue to supervise my students — particularly the trainee paediatric cardiologists who require mentoring — and also develop the paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati," he said.
However, Dr Piprim disclosed that his proposal was flatly rejected and that he was required to transfer to Fatmawati Central Hospital immediately.
"Critically, the Health Minister said there was no paediatric cardiologist at Fatmawati — this is a very serious falsehood, Minister. Dr Muhammadin has been there for years as a paediatric cardiology consultant and has been performing all manner of paediatric cardiac interventions," he said firmly.
The IDAI chairman also stated that had he been given an assignment letter to oversee paediatric cardiac services at both Fatmawati and RSCM simultaneously, he would have assisted wholeheartedly.
"I told them — from the Ministry of Health, from Fatmawati — cancel my transfer order and instead give me an assignment letter to oversee paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati. One or two days I would work at Fatmawati, three days at RSCM. I would help with all my heart. But because they insisted on using this transfer as punishment — so that IDAI would not speak out loudly, so that IDAI would not support the independence of the collegia — the answer was: you must carry out the transfer decision," he said.
"Why was I absent for 28 days? This absence of 28 days has become the primary grounds for a serious disciplinary violation, which then led to my dismissal," said Dr Piprim in a video uploaded to his Instagram account on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.
In the video, Dr Piprim also touched upon his transfer from RSCM (Cipto Mangunkusumo Central Hospital) to Fatmawati Central Hospital at the end of March 2025. He revealed that a "win-win solution" had in fact been proposed involving both Fatmawati and RSCM regarding his transfer.
According to him, the development of paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati could have been achieved without fully transferring him from RSCM.
"If the objective was to develop paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati, I did not need to be transferred. Give me an assignment letter for one or two days at Fatmawati and three days at RSCM, so that I could continue to serve my patients at RSCM, continue to supervise my students — particularly the trainee paediatric cardiologists who require mentoring — and also develop the paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati," he said.
However, Dr Piprim disclosed that his proposal was flatly rejected and that he was required to transfer to Fatmawati Central Hospital immediately.
"Critically, the Health Minister said there was no paediatric cardiologist at Fatmawati — this is a very serious falsehood, Minister. Dr Muhammadin has been there for years as a paediatric cardiology consultant and has been performing all manner of paediatric cardiac interventions," he said firmly.
The IDAI chairman also stated that had he been given an assignment letter to oversee paediatric cardiac services at both Fatmawati and RSCM simultaneously, he would have assisted wholeheartedly.
"I told them — from the Ministry of Health, from Fatmawati — cancel my transfer order and instead give me an assignment letter to oversee paediatric cardiac services at Fatmawati. One or two days I would work at Fatmawati, three days at RSCM. I would help with all my heart. But because they insisted on using this transfer as punishment — so that IDAI would not speak out loudly, so that IDAI would not support the independence of the collegia — the answer was: you must carry out the transfer decision," he said.