House Deputy Speaker Urges Sanctions for Health Workers Mocking BPJS Patient
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX, Charles Honoris, has expressed concern over healthcare workers (nakes) who allegedly insulted BPJS patient Yurizal Tri Chaerawan after he complained about waiting eight hours for an inpatient room. Charles has called for the individuals involved to be sanctioned.
“I express my deepest condolences on the passing of the deceased. Whatever the final cause, every patient has the right to be treated with respect, dignity, and full empathy when they are fighting an illness,” Charles told reporters on Wednesday (5/8/2026).
The PDIP politician said he was concerned about the negative comments made by healthcare workers regarding the patient’s complaint. Yurizal was reported to have passed away on 31 July 2026.
“I am very concerned if it is true that there were healthcare workers who left comments lacking empathy towards a patient. The healthcare profession is a noble one, so ethical and professional standards must be upheld, including in the digital space. Criticism or complaints from patients should not be met with mockery or insults,” he said.
The legislator has requested that the healthcare workers who insulted the BPJS patient be investigated. He wants sanctions imposed if they are proven to have committed ethical violations.
“I hope the professional organisation and the institution where the individual works will conduct an objective investigation and impose sanctions if an ethical violation is indeed proven,” he stated.
He noted that Indonesia is still facing fundamental problems in its healthcare system. Charles highlighted that the availability of health facilities, hospital beds, and healthcare workers in many regions is still not proportional to the needs of the community.
“This condition must be a serious concern for the government. The use of state funds must be truly prioritised to strengthen health services that are directly felt by the public, from improving health facilities and fulfilling the need for healthcare workers to improving the referral system,” Charles said.
“The ultimate goal is simple: to ensure that every citizen can obtain fast, proper, and humane health services when they need them,” he added.
The case came to light after a complaint by BPJS patient Yurizal Tri Chaerawan went viral on social media. On 22 July 2026, via his Threads account @yurizaltrich, Yurizal wrote that he had been waiting for an inpatient room for eight hours. In his post, he did not mention the name of the hospital where he was being treated.
“8 hours and still haven’t got a room. I won’t name the hospital, because I’m using BPJS,” Yurizal wrote.
Instead of receiving sympathy, the post was flooded with insulting comments. Some accounts even suggested he move to the mortuary to get a room faster. There were also comments joking about serious illness and self-harm.
Several accounts that wrote these comments are suspected to be doctors, nurses, or other healthcare workers based on information listed on their social media profiles. However, the identities and professions of the account owners have not yet been fully verified.
The discussion widened after Yurizal was reported to have passed away on 31 July 2026. The sad news was conveyed by his cousin via social media, causing Yurizal’s old post to go viral again.