Health Minister: Healthcare Workers Must Not Lack Empathy

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has stressed that health workers, as public servants, must not display a lack of empathy, particularly towards patients who are unwell.

“I think all professions that serve the public, especially health workers, must not be lacking in empathy like that,” Budi said when met at the Coordinating Ministry for Food office in Jakarta on Thursday.

Budi made the statement in response to the viral comments made by a number of health workers on a post by a BPJS Kesehatan patient.

At a press conference at the Ministry of Health office in Jakarta on Wednesday (5/8), the minister also expressed his condolences while emphasising the importance of continuously improving the quality of health services.

He expressed hope that BPJS Kesehatan would continue to raise the public’s life expectancy from 72 to 76 years.

“Whenever someone dies, my heart is saddened, especially if the person who dies is young. As health minister, I feel I have failed when our friends die young. We should indeed strive to provide the best possible service. There are shortcomings, but those are what we continue to improve,” he explained.

The case began when a BPJS patient, Yurizal, wrote about his experience waiting for a treatment room on the social media platform Threads.

He said he had not been given a room after eight hours at the hospital.

The post was met with negative comments from a number of accounts whose owners later turned out to be health workers. The comments then drew public attention.

“We remind health workers that even on social media they remain public servants with a high moral responsibility. They must be careful when giving comments or responses on issues or events because the impact can be long-lasting,” he said.

According to Asep, the health profession is not merely a job but also a humanitarian calling, so a professional attitude must be reflected both when providing services and when using social media.