RI Ombudsman requests hospitals to limit healthcare workers' working hours

Jambi City (ANTARA) - The RI Ombudsman has requested that hospitals establish a maximum limit on working hours for healthcare workers following the case of an intern doctor’s death at RSUD KH Daud Arif, Kuala Tungkal, Tanjung Jabung Barat, Jambi. Ombudsman RI Nuzran Joher, in Jambi on Wednesday, highlighted the case during a working visit to Jambi Province. His office has coordinated with the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) regarding the investigation process conducted by the team into the case. The case involving an intern doctor from the Faculty of Medicine at Sriwijaya University is suspected to have occurred due to non-procedural actions in the form of excessive workload borne by the victim. The Kemenkes investigation team has also conducted examinations to uncover the exact cause of the incident. According to him, the incident should serve as a momentum for improving the hospital work system, particularly in human resource management. “We request that hospitals set a maximum working hours limit, for example 60 hours per week, and ensure there is a rest break after night duty,” he said. The Ombudsman encourages the implementation of an integrated digital system with Kemenkes for managing and supervising medical staff shift schedules. The system is expected to provide automatic warnings if violations occur, such as forcing overtime without permission. All healthcare and medical personnel must have mandatory health insurance, with coverage adjusted to the workload and risks they face. “We request that hospitals provide access to confidential psychological counselling for intern doctors to address work stress symptoms before they develop into more serious conditions,” said Nuzran.