IDI Speaks Out on Alleged Unempathetic Comments to Patient, Will Doctor Face Sanctions?

The Central Board of the Indonesian Medical Association (PB IDI) has spoken out regarding the case of alleged unsympathetic comments made in a post by a patient named Yurizal Tri Chaerawan. As is known, on 22 July 2026, Yurizal wrote about his experience of waiting eight hours for treatment without obtaining a room.

PB IDI Deputy Chair, Dr Wiweka, MARS, stressed that the organisation strongly condemns the actions allegedly carried out by the individual medical professional concerned.

“Firstly, it is clear that we from the Indonesian Medical Association strongly condemn the actions carried out by the medical profession in relation to the incident that occurred yesterday,” he said when contacted by VIVA.co.id on Wednesday, 5 August 2026.

Wiweka said that IDI is paying serious attention to the case. According to him, IDI has long focused on enforcing professional ethics so that every doctor practises in accordance with the code of ethics, including when interacting with patients and when using social media.

“So regarding the patient who waited eight hours, the context is also the relationship between patient and doctor, albeit indirectly. Indeed, we at the Indonesian Medical Association have always focused on professional ethics. So that doctors can truly carry out professional ethics in relation to the patient-doctor relationship. This includes the implementation of medical ethics on social media. We have a code of ethics and we have regulated all of that there,” he said.

When asked about the possibility of disciplinary sanctions being imposed on the doctor concerned, Wiweka explained that this authority no longer rests with the professional organisation.

He explained that following the enactment of Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health, the authority to handle professional disciplinary matters has shifted to the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, IDI only has the authority to provide guidance to its members.

Nevertheless, if the doctor suspected of involvement in the case is proven to be an IDI member, the organisation will still follow up on the alleged ethical violation in accordance with applicable regulations.

“We from the Indonesian Medical Association can only provide guidance to our members. And if it is confirmed that this person is a member, we will still enforce the organisation’s rules and professional ethics regulations. If this relates to an ethical violation, it will of course be assessed whether the violation falls into the category of minor, moderate, severe, or very severe. In that case, ethical sanctions will certainly be imposed,” he said.