Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health identified four key factors behind the death of Irene Sokoy and her unborn baby in Papua, and pledged immediate steps to prevent similar incidents.
The Ministry's Director General of Advanced Health, Azhar Jaya, said on Thursday that the issues involved a shortage of specialist doctors, suboptimal maintenance of medical facilities and infrastructure, non-compliance with standard procedures, and weaknesses in the referral system.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed that shortages of specialists, including obstetricians, gynecologists, and anesthesiologists, remain common outside Java.
To address this, the ministry is developing a hospital-based education system and encouraging local youth to pursue specialist training to improve healthcare access and expand employment opportunities.
Sadikin emphasized the need to strengthen hospital governance, especially in regional hospitals. He added that the ministry continues to work with regional heads, mayors, and governors to improve the management of health facilities.
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He said the ministry has tasked Dr. Sardjito General Hospital with assisting Papua Province in improving hospital governance and management. This includes renovating several operating rooms while keeping others functional to ensure uninterrupted services.
The minister also underlined the importance of proper data collection to build a better referral system.
His office is coordinating with health agency leaders to enhance supervision and guidance, including the imposition of sanctions on hospitals that violate the Health Law.
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He noted that the new Health Law clearly states penalties for hospital leaders who fail to provide emergency care. Patients must be treated, and the National Health Insurer BPJS will cover the cost.
The ministry will monitor the results of the ongoing investigation and return to Papua in three months to evaluate improvements in the province's health services.
Before the incident, Irene Sokoy had undergone antenatal care at a community health center and had been examined by an obstetrician-gynecologist.
On November 16, she went into labor and went to Yowari Hospital, but no ob-gyn was available to perform a cesarean section.
She was referred to Dian Harapan Hospital, which had no anesthesiologist and a full NICU. She was then transferred to Abepura Hospital, where surgery was not possible because all four operating rooms were under renovation.
Irene was subsequently moved to Bhayangkara Hospital, which had both ob-gyns and anesthesiologists, but did not provide third-class inpatient services.
She was later advised to seek treatment at a private hospital, where she was asked to pay around Rp3–4 million (US$174–232). Due to financial constraints, she was transferred again.
During the transfer, she suffered a seizure and was rushed back to Bhayangkara Hospital. Despite efforts to save her, she did not survive. Irene and her unborn baby died on November 17 at around 05:00 local time.
