JAKARTA: From making moves that would allow general practitioners to perform risky birth surgery, to controversial statements saying men with larger jeans sizes will “meet God sooner”, Indonesia’s health minister has come under heavy public criticism lately.
Some have even called for his resignation. As of Wednesday (May 21) evening, an online petition calling for Budi Gunadi Sadikin to be removed from office has been signed 8,600 times since it started on May 4.
“Throughout his tenure, the health minister has issued numerous policies and statements which are not pro-people, not based on scientific data and tarnish the credibility of health professionals,” the petition wrote.
The health minister’s policies and offhand remarks also led to a fierce debate over whether Indonesia’s top health post should be reserved for professionals with a medical background.
Over the last few days, lecturers from three of Indonesia’s biggest public universities: Jakarta’s University of Indonesia, West Java’s Padjadjaran University and East Java’s Airlangga University wrote open letters to President Prabowo Subianto, asking him to review Budi’s performance and policies.
The Alumni Association of University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Medicine joined the chorus of condemnation on Tuesday.
“(The association) encourages President Prabowo to replace the top health official,” Wawan Mulyawan, a neurosurgeon and association chairman, told reporters, as quoted by local media platform Tempo, adding that some of Budi’s policies and statements “have crossed the line”.
Analysts say the level of distrust shown by medical professionals and academics towards the minister is worrying as it affects how government policies are implemented on the ground.
“If this distrust drags on, the quality of health services people receive will be at risk,” Dicky Budiman, a public health expert from Jakarta’s Yarsi University, told CNA.
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