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Indonesia: Junior doctor’s death exposes ‘open secret’ of medical school bullying
A junior doctor in an anaesthesia specialist programme in Indonesia was found dead. This incident has put a spotlight on bullying medical schools.
The death of a junior doctor who was undergoing specialist medical training has put a spotlight on the issue of bullying prevalent in medical schools across Indonesia. Reportedly, 30-year-old Aulia Risma Lestari, resident in the anaesthesia specialist programme at Diponegoro University in Semarang, was found dead in her residence. As per police, her death is being investigated as a possible suicide.
Leaked WhatsApp chats:
Following her death, several WhatsApp conversations between the doctor and her seniors made their way onto social media, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Allegedly, they pressured Lestari to pay for their food, entertainment, and car rentals.
Heath Minister’s reaction to the incident:
Indonesia’s health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, called bullying an “open secret” and said he would push for stricter measures for the perpetrators. “I will push for legal action to ensure maximum punishment for the perpetrators and to create a deterrent effect,” he added.
Cases of bullying in Indonesia:
The outlet stated that according to the country’s health ministry, 356 formal complaints of bullying were made between July 2023 and August 2024. Out of these, authorities investigated 156 cases, resulting in suspension or dismissal. The complaints by the victims contained details of physical abuse, financial coercion, verbal abuse, and even intimidation.
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“The Health Ministry will always take stern action against the bullies. Their names will also be flagged in the system as perpetrators,” health ministry’s spokesman Mohammad Syahril told the outlet.
Raised voices:
In the wake of the tragic incident, other junior doctors across the country have opened up about their ordeals. 29-year-old Agung Purnama (name changed), who specialises in oncology surgery, said his seniors allegedly pressured him to work long hours, adding, “Or else they would say we will not get a good grade, or we are not worthy of becoming doctors.”
“You feel like [you] have no choice but to do as they say … I spent so much time and money to get to this point [in my studies] so it feels like you don’t want to do anything to risk that,” he added.
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“I think there is a tendency to normalise and see bullying as being natural because of the high amounts of pressure and demands of specialised medical education … but this shouldn’t be normalised or tolerated,” founder and chief executive of advocacy group Centre for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives, Diah Satyani Saminarsih, told This Week in Asia, reported SCMP.
“The more junior you are, the higher the risk is that you will be exposed to bullying,” she added.
