Doctor Benny's 'Empty Mortuary Room' Comment Ends in Apology

Benny Christian Sihombing, a doctor at Ruteng Regional Hospital (RSUD Ruteng) in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has issued a public apology via his social media account. He expressed regret for his insensitive comment directed at BPJS patient Yurizal Tri Chaerawan, who has since passed away. The apology came after Benny became the target of widespread online condemnation. His comment on Yurizal’s Threads post was heavily criticised for being hurtful and unbecoming of a medical professional. He stated he regretted the post and offered his condolences on Yurizal’s death. ‘I wish to convey my apology for my typing on Threads. I also express my condolences to the owner of the thread, the late Yurizal. I pray that the entire family is given comfort,’ Benny said via his personal account. Benny also stated he is ready to accept the consequences, including legal proceedings or sanctions from the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and the Medical Ethics Honour Council (MKEK). ‘I take full responsibility for everything I wrote. And if there is a legal process later, I will follow it without defence or hiring a lawyer, that will not happen. And I am also ready to accept the consequences from the hospital, from IDI, MKEK, the court, or other institutions,’ he continued. Previously, a thread on Threads by @yurizaltrich went viral after he revealed he had not received a room at a hospital despite waiting for eight hours. The thread gained traction after comments from several doctors and healthcare workers were deemed lacking in empathy and even tantamount to bullying. ‘8 hours and still no room. Don’t want to expose the hospital, because I use BPJS,’ he wrote in the Threads post uploaded on 23 July 2026. Nine days after the post was made, the patient, Yurizal Tri Chaerawan, was reported to have died on 31 July 2026. The insensitive comments from doctors and healthcare workers were then brought back to light and drew public outrage. One of the most highlighted comments came from Dr Benny Christian Sihombing via the Threads account @bennychrstn. In the comment section, Dr Benny responded to Yurizal’s complaint by mentioning the limited treatment rooms in hospitals, including referring to the mortuary as a place that is always available. ‘If it’s full, where do you want to be moved? On the floor? It has nothing to do with BPJS or not. Many people use BPJS, so automatically many are being treated, not just you. If you want to be moved quickly, the mortuary room is always empty. Annoying, healthcare workers/hospitals and even the government through BPJS are trying to help, but the public acts like this,’ Benny commented. RSUD Ruteng management in Manggarai, NTT, has spoken out after Dr Benny Christian Sihombing joined in insulting BPJS patient Yurizal Tri Chaerawan on Threads. RSUD Ruteng Public Relations staff member Yohana RD Mari confirmed that Benny is a doctor serving at RSUD Ruteng. However, Yohana stressed that the incident involving patient Yurizal did not occur at RSUD Ruteng. She said Benny was merely commenting on Yurizal’s Threads. ‘The doctor is currently at RSUD Ruteng. I will check their position later,’ Yohana said via telephone. Yohana also noted that Dr Benny had posted a public apology on his personal social media account. Meanwhile, RSUD Ruteng did not issue an official statement because the comment was a personal opinion expressed outside his capacity as a medical professional at the hospital. ‘There is no official clarification from the hospital because it was the doctor’s personal Thread, not through the hospital account or hospital public relations,’ Yohana concluded.