The case involving a resident doctor at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, who drugged a patient with anesthesia, underscores significant lapses in patient care and drug management.
To prevent similar incidents, comprehensive reforms are needed, and healthcare professionals must prioritize integrity and professionalism while rejecting all forms of violence.
Health behavior, environmental, and social medicine expert Professor Yayi Suryo Prabandari from the UGM’s Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM) stated that healthcare workers often face the greatest challenge from within themselves.
The medical profession demands a respectful and empathetic approach toward patients to uphold high integrity and professionalism. However, doctors must not exploit these interactions for inappropriate behavior, let alone commit acts of sexual violence.
“Lecturers, clinical educators, interns, residents, and clinical personnel in hospitals must respect one another, prioritize patient safety, and uphold integrity, not only by avoiding sexual violence but also refraining from verbal and physical abuse,” she emphasized on Monday, Apr. 24, 2025.
Professor Purbandari stressed the need for a structured and well-organized educational curriculum reform to prevent misconduct among healthcare workers and ensure they remain focused on providing proper care.
A solid academic system ensures proper learning and evaluation while strengthening coordination between study programs and hospitals.
Additionally, medical education should incorporate role models, lecturers, or alumni who exemplify ethical behavior.
“It’s essential to have faculty members and alumni who can serve as good role models, demonstrating ethical conduct and professionalism,” she said.
Professor Purbandari also noted that FK-KMK UGM has implemented the Health Promoting University (HPU) initiative, which includes a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying, harassment, and violence.
Since 2019, the faculty has also established the Dignified Clinical Education Guidelines, which are aimed at academic and hospital communities within the faculty, its teaching hospital, and affiliated networks.
While Indonesia currently lacks national data on the prevalence of sexual misconduct by medical personnel, comparisons can be drawn from other countries.
In the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) reported in 2019 that only 0.2% of its 160,000 registered doctors had received ethical sanctions for sexual misconduct over the past five years.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a survey by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) found that healthcare workers accounted for 3%–5% of public sexual harassment cases over 10 years.
In Indonesia, although no specific figures are available, sexual harassment is acknowledged as a form of bullying that continues to occur, often driven by a hierarchical culture and the lack of an effective reporting system.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Illustration: sejawat.co