House Speaker Demands Thorough Investigation into Doctor Icha's Death

House Speaker Puan Maharani has urged the police to thoroughly investigate the alleged intimidation behind the death of Dr. Eliza Princila Utama Pakaenoni, known as Dr. Icha. She stressed that such bullying of health workers must not happen again. “There was bullying, and it must not be repeated. We must investigate this. The legal case must be resolved as clearly as possible,” Puan said at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Regarding the alleged intimidation by members of the Timor Tengah Utara Regency Legislative Council from the Golkar, PKB, and PDIP factions, she asserted that the parties have internal mechanisms to follow up on the issue. “Of course, each party whose members are involved will have its own mechanism. However, what is certain is that legal sanctions and the investigation must be carried out thoroughly,” she stated.

It is known that three members of the Timor Tengah Utara Regency Legislative Council have been implicated in the case of Dr. Icha’s death. The three political parties have also spoken out. The incident began when two council members, Norbertus Tubani from PKB and Therensius Lazakar from Golkar, visited the emergency department of Leona Hospital regarding the treatment of a child patient who was a snakebite victim and a nephew of Therensius. The patient had been referred from Kefamenanu Regional General Hospital.

According to witness statements at the scene, the two legislators allegedly arrived smelling of alcohol and spoke in a high tone to Dr. Icha, who was on duty at the time. The incident is believed to have caused deep psychological trauma to Dr. Icha. She subsequently underwent intensive care before being declared dead on Friday, 26 June. Dr. Icha was found deceased at her parents’ home in the Baumata RSS Housing Complex, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, at around 6 p.m. local time.