Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin Orders Evaluation After Five Cooperative Manager Trainees Die During Training

Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has taken evaluative steps following the deaths of five participants in the 2026 Pioneer for Indonesian Development (SPPI) programme, who were undergoing state defence and managerial training for the Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) and Red and White Fishermen Cooperatives (KNMP) programme. One of the policies ordered is the adjustment of training intensity according to each participant’s health condition. The directive was conveyed by the Head of the Ministry of Defence’s Human Resources Development Agency, Major General TNI Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia. He stated that the minister’s instructions also emphasise strengthening health aspects during the training. ‘At the direction of the defence minister, strengthening the health aspect of participants is a primary concern. This includes periodic health checks for participants with risk factors, adjusting activity intensity according to participants’ conditions, and strengthening medical supervision within the educational units,’ he said on Saturday, 27 June 2026. In addition to adjusting activities, the Ministry of Defence is also collaborating with the Ministry of Health to bolster medical support. Coordination is underway to improve prevention, early detection, and treatment of pulmonary and infectious diseases across all educational units. Ketut emphasised that the basic military training attended by the prospective managers of the Red and White Village Cooperatives and Red and White Fishing Villages is not military education aimed at producing soldiers. The programme is intended to shape the participants’ character to be more disciplined and professional. ‘This programme continues because it is part of the process to create or educate professional and disciplined managers,’ he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence reiterated its condolences over the deaths of the five participants during the training. Ketut explained that all participants who experienced health problems received treatment according to procedure, starting from examination by medical personnel at the training unit to referral to a hospital. ‘Since the participants experienced health problems, all have received treatment from medical personnel at the educational unit and were subsequently referred to a hospital for further medical treatment in accordance with applicable procedures,’ he said. He added that every participant in the programme had previously undergone a comprehensive health examination, including blood and urine laboratory tests, pregnancy tests, chest X-rays, electrocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, as well as eye, dental, posture, and mental health checks.