Ministry of Health Suspends Internship Programme at Daud Arif General Hospital

The Ministry of Health has suspended the internship programme at Daud Arif General Hospital (RSUD Daud Arif) in Kuala Tungkal, Jambi, as a consequence of the investigation into the death of intern doctor Myta Aprilia Azmy. The Director General of Health Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, Yulia Farianti, stated that the suspension of this internship venue will take effect from May 2026. “We are freezing this venue; for the time being, it will not serve as an internship site until the full results of the investigation are released,” Yulia said at the Ministry of Health office in Jakarta on Thursday, 7 May 2026. The Ministry of Health found evidence that the hospital violated the规定 on working hour limits for intern doctors, set at 40 hours per week with a maximum tolerance of 48 hours. Based on the recapitulation gathered by the Ministry of Health, Myta worked in the hospital’s emergency department beyond the maximum limit and forced herself to report for duty while ill. The Ministry of Health also received reports that intern doctors worked without supervision from accompanying doctors. The excuse that it allows interns to learn more was deemed inappropriate because the Ministry of Health believes they need guidance and direction from organic doctors. Regarding these findings, Yulia stated that the Ministry of Health will conduct an audit of the supervising doctors in accordance with the programme implementation regulations. She also assured that participants in the Indonesian Doctor Internship Programme (PIDI) and the Indonesian Dentist Internship Programme (PIDGI) will be relocated from the venue in Kuala Tungkal until the audit process is completed. “We are first relocating all the current interns. So we are withdrawing everyone from the community health centre and hospital venues in Kuala Tungkal,” she said. Myta Aprilia Azmy passed away on 1 May 2026. Before her death, the 25-year-old doctor received treatment at her workplace, after which her family took her to Mohammad Hoesin Central General Hospital (RSUP) in Palembang, South Sumatra. She was treated in the ICU requiring respiratory assistance and ultimately died due to a lung infection. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the next process will involve a medical audit of RSUD Daud Arif by the Professional Discipline Council, targeted to be completed next week. According to him, this procedure is necessary to assess the professionalism of RSUD Daud Arif in running the internship programme. Thus, the Professional Discipline Council will propose the most appropriate type of sanction to penalise the hospital. “I think it would be wiser if we wait for the results of the medical audit so we can see what the actual status is like,” he said.