Paediatric Doctors' Association Nationwide Condemns Dismissal of Specialists Over Collegium Policy Dispute
JAKARTA — The Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) branches across the entire country have demanded the restoration of rights and dignity for four paediatric specialists, calling for their employment status to be reinstated and for them to be returned to their original workplaces.
The four doctors are Dr Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, a paediatric cardiologist at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta; Dr Hikari Ambara Sjakti, a paediatric haematology-oncology specialist at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta; Dr Fitri Hartanto, a child development specialist at Karyadi Hospital in Semarang; and Dr Rizky Adriansyah, a paediatric cardiologist at Adam Malik Hospital in Medan.
“Immediately revoke all transfer and dismissal decisions that lack legal basis, and return the paediatric doctors to their original places of service,” read the joint statement agreed upon by IDAI branches nationwide, delivered by Rismala Dewi, Chair of the IDAI Jakarta Chapter for the 2024–2027 period, on Monday (23 February 2026).
IDAI branches across Indonesia view the dismissals and transfers of the four doctors as a violation of the principles of medical professionalism, characterising the actions as a form of bureaucratic abuse of power against core IDAI officials.
“This position statement was made with full awareness and a high sense of moral responsibility as an expression of support for law enforcement and the struggle to establish an independent medical collegium,” said Rismala.
The joint position statement from all IDAI branches together with IDAI members from Aceh to Papua arose in response to intimidation against doctors who rejected the Health Collegium model proposed by the Ministry of Health. The four doctors are believed to have become “victims” for their outspoken opposition to the Collegium.
“We, IDAI branches across all of Indonesia together with IDAI members from Aceh to Papua, hereby declare our position regarding the situation of intimidation, criminalisation, and disregard for the law currently being directed at our colleagues and professional institutions,” said Rismala.
Previously, the establishment of the Health Collegium had been rejected by a number of professional organisations, including IDAI. These organisations maintain that collegiums should remain under professional bodies as autonomous scientific institutions. The proposed change is feared to threaten the independence of the medical profession and potentially diminish the quality of specialist medical education in Indonesia.