VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (voinews): Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has lauded the work done by the police in investigating the death of Mawartih Susanti, a pulmonologist from Nabire Regional Hospital, Central Papua province, and arresting the suspect.

"I laud the National Police, especially the Papua Regional Police, who have investigated (the case) and arrested the suspect," he said in a statement released on Wednesday evening.

Security, safety, and health guarantees are the right of every health worker in the country, especially those who are carrying out humanitarian missions in remote regions, he added.

The minister stated that ensuring the safety of medical workers is the responsibility of the government so that they can provide health services properly.

"Hence, I have specifically asked the TNI (Indonesian Defense Forces), Polri (National Police), and the local government to provide good security guarantees for doctors and other health workers. Thus, wherever they are placed, the health workers can carry out their duties well," Sadikin added.

According to him, Susanti had high dedication, love, and responsibility for her work. Her dedication was proven by her serving as the sole pulmonologist in Nabire district, Central Papua province, for six years.

She was found dead on March 9, 2023, at around 7 p.m. Eastern Indonesia Standard Time (WIT) at her official residence in Nabire district.

Earlier, chairperson of the Papua branch of the Association of Pulmonologists, Hendra Sihombing, said that there were irregularities in the victim's death.

According to the reports, the victim was found with signs of foaming at the mouth and with bruises on her body, he said. Susanti’s family said that the back of her body had turned blue and she had broken her neck and ribs.

On Wednesday, chief of Papua Regional Police, Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri, announced that the police had arrested a cleaning service officer at Nabire Regional Hospital, identified as KW, who was suspected to have murdered the pulmonologist.

Fakhiri added that the suspect was identified after the police found residual saliva on the victim’s body during the autopsy.  (Antaranews)