Doctor Icha Confided in Colleague: 'I Panicked, They Shouted at Me'

A doctor in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Dr. Eliza Princilia Utami Pakaenoni, known as Dr. Icha (27), was found dead after hanging herself at her residence. Before her death, Dr. Icha had confided in a fellow doctor, Dr. Trimaharani, a renowned toxicologist. Dr. Trimaharani, a specialist in snakebite toxicology in Indonesia, was one of the people Dr. Icha consulted regarding a patient who had been bitten by a snake. Dr. Trimaharani stated that at the time, Dr. Icha was panicked and frightened. ‘I was the one consulting with Dr. Icha during the incident on 13 June. She called me in a state of fear and panic. She called me three or four times,’ Maharani said when contacted on Monday (29/6). She recounted that Dr. Icha claimed to have been scolded by the patient’s family. According to her account, the patient’s family even asked for Dr. Icha’s full name. ‘She told me, “I was shouted at, scolded, and they asked for my full name,” she said, recounting Dr. Icha’s condition at the time. Maharani also received information from Dr. Icha about the condition of the snakebite patient. Maharani had suggested that Dr. Icha explain the situation properly. ’The patient’s lab results were normal, physical condition was normal. Only immobilisation was needed, not antivenom. Dr. Icha had already explained this, but the family, who are members of the local parliament, refused to accept it,’ she revealed. Maharani said that it was Dr. Icha who ended up apologising, as the patient’s family remained angry. ‘She told me, “Doctor, I’m sorry, I panicked, I was shouted at and scolded.” This child was good. The family kept insisting on the antivenom,’ she said. Maharani stated she is prepared to act as a witness if required and has kept all WhatsApp messages from Dr. Icha as evidence. The incident began when two members of the TTU Regional House of Representatives, Norbertus Tubani and Therensius Lazakar, visited the Leona Hospital emergency department regarding a child patient, Therensius’s nephew, who had been bitten by a green snake. Based on witness statements, the two parliamentarians allegedly arrived smelling of alcohol and spoke in a high tone to Dr. Icha while she was performing her medical duties. The incident is believed to have left deep psychological trauma for Dr. Icha. She underwent intensive medical care before being pronounced dead on Friday, 26 June 2026. She was found dead at her parents’ home in the RSS Baumata housing complex, Kupang Regency, NTT, at around 6 p.m. local time.