Internship Doctor in Jambi Dies, NasDem Highlights 'Slavery'

Irma stated that Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had previously conveyed during a meeting with the DPR’s Commission IX that healthcare workers, specifically internship doctors, must be given work schedules that are appropriate to avoid disrupting their health. Additionally, internship doctors must receive incentives.

“Actually, the Minister, in the RDP with Commission IX, already stated that healthcare workers who are internship doctors must be given work schedules that are suitable so that the workload does not interfere with health; he even mentioned that these internship doctors must be given incentives,” said Irma to reporters on Friday (8/5/2026).

However, Irma admitted she does not yet know whether that policy has been formalised in an official circular to hospitals. According to her, hospital compliance needs to be monitored to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

“We have not received a report on whether he also issued a circular regarding this matter. Because the level of hospital compliance must be controlled so that similar incidents do not occur,” she said.

Irma then questioned the role of supervising doctors and hospital management in overseeing internship doctors. She urged that there be parties legally responsible for the case.

“Certainly, with this incident, we question where and what the function of the supervising doctors and hospital management is. If the investigation results are true, then there must be accountability and it must be brought to the legal route because there has been a loss of life,” she emphasised.

This NasDem DPP Chairman also highlighted the investigation findings that organic doctors are suspected of covering up facts about excessive working hours and claiming ignorance of guidelines on internship doctors’ working hour limits. She stressed that this is not merely negligence.

“Doctors should be intelligent! Try putting themselves in the position of the deceased! This is no longer just negligence, but it amounts to ‘slavery’ and must be brought to the legal route,” she said.

“There needs to be criminal legal sanctions because the victim died due to forced labour. This must become a precedent for all hospitals and supervising doctors; supervising doctors have an obligation to pay attention to health and working hours, not exploit them,” she added.