Prospective Kopdes Managers in Military Training Found to Have Asthma, Hypertension

A number of participants in the Basic Military Training (Latsarmil) for the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme, intended for prospective managers of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, have been found to have histories of asthma and hypertension. The findings emerged after the training unit conducted repeat health checks on participants ahead of the training. Commander of the SPPI Training Battalion at the 1st Marine Infantry Brigade in Cilandak, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Agus Mutaqin, said the data collection was carried out on all participants accepted into his unit. During the process, instructors discovered several participants with pre-existing medical conditions, ranging from asthma and hypertension to post-bone fracture recovery. A total of 674 prospective cooperative managers are undergoing Latsarmil at the 1st Marine Infantry Brigade. According to Agus, all participants had previously been declared fit following health screenings conducted by the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) of the Ministry of Defence. However, his unit still carried out additional checks to anticipate health risks during training. The checks were conducted during participant registration from 14 to 16 June 2026. Although not a full medical check-up, instructors checked blood pressure and conducted interviews regarding each participant’s medical history. Participants found to have pre-existing conditions were given a white band to wear on their right upper arm. The marker allows instructors to easily identify participants requiring special attention during activities. They were also separated into distinct groups and are not required to participate in strenuous physical activities. Agus highlighted the recent deaths of three candidate managers during training. Learning from those incidents, the 1st Marine Infantry Brigade has prepared a layered health response mechanism during the training. Participants experiencing health problems are required to report to their platoon commander before the matter is escalated to company and battalion levels. Additionally, an ambulance and medical personnel are on standby 24 hours a day at the training site. If a participant’s condition cannot be handled by the unit’s medical facilities, they will be immediately referred to the Cilandak Marine Hospital. The military-style basic training programme has come under intense scrutiny following the deaths of three prospective managers for the Merah Putih Cooperatives and Merah Putih Fishermen’s Villages. The three deceased were Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang, Anisa Muyassaroh, and Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq. Novia, who was training at the Indonesian Air Force Doctrine Development, Education and Training Command Language Centre in Jakarta, died on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, and was recorded as having a history of tuberculosis. Anisa died on 18 June 2026 after suffering heat stroke during training at the Mulawarman Military Command Main Regiment Education Unit in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Yonanda was pronounced dead due to cardiac arrest on 17 June 2026 while training at the Army Combat Training Centre Education Unit in Baturaja, South Sumatra. Separately, reports have also emerged of pregnant women participating in the military training activities. Deputy for Talent Development and Competitiveness at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Destry Anna Sari, said her office is still verifying the number of pregnant participants in order to decide on the next steps.