UI Professor Highlights Need for Doctor Empathy After BPJS Patient's Death

JAKARTA — News of the death of a BPJS Kesehatan patient named Yurizal Tri Chaerawan has drawn public attention on social media. A few days earlier, the patient had complained about not being given a room at the hospital after waiting for eight hours.

His complaint, posted via the Threads account @yurizaltrich, received responses from other netizens. Rather than support, many parties at the time blamed him instead, including several accounts believed to belong to health workers (nakes).

Their comments were seen by many as a form of indifference towards the patient. Moreover, the BPJS Kesehatan patient was later found to have died about a week after voicing his complaint on social media.

Professor Tjandra Yoga Aditama, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia (FK UI), expressed his condolences over the patient’s death. He said the case serves as a lesson for everyone, especially doctors, to always empathise with their patients.

“A doctor must certainly give empathy to patients, whatever the circumstances. Because patients are ill not only physically, but may also be under mental pressure facing their situation,” he said in a statement received by Republika on Wednesday (5/8/2026).

Beyond simply empathising, the Director of Postgraduate Studies at Universitas YARSI believes a doctor must also share the patient’s perspective. This is because a doctor’s task is not only to examine and treat patients, but also to feel the complaints they experience.

“It must be remembered that patients are not only complaining about their illness but also about various circumstances related to their illness, and this must be understood and given adequate empathy,” said Prof Tjandra.