LAPK: Patient complaint raises concerns about transparency in hospital care
A viral account from a patient at BPJS Kesehatan (the Indonesian healthcare provider) regarding hours-long wait times—which sparked public controversy—serves as a reminder that healthcare in Indonesia still faces serious challenges, particularly concerning service certainty and information transparency for patients.
Despite various clarifications and ongoing investigations, this incident highlights the need for a thorough review of the hospital care system to prevent public mistrust.
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For patients and their families, healthcare is not merely about medical treatment; it also encompasses the right to accurate, clear, and easily accessible information regarding the care process.
“When patients are left waiting without certainty, receive conflicting information from staff, or remain unaware of service availability, the likelihood of misunderstandings and conflicts increases,” stated Padian Adi S. Siregar, Chairman of the Institute for Consumer Interests and Protection (LAPK).
One of the fundamental issues in hospital care that requires immediate attention is the transparency of information regarding queues and bed availability.
One of the most common patient complaints concerns unclear information about wait times and bed availability. This forces patients and their families to endure uncertain waits or even travel between hospitals due to conflicting information.
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Every hospital should have an information board or public information system displaying wait times and bed availability—data that is regularly updated and directly accessible to patients and their families. This transparency of information must be part of every healthcare facility’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) as a form of accountability and to uphold the patient’s right to accurate, clear, honest, and understandable information.
Efforts to digitize healthcare information via the mobile JKN app are certainly commendable. However, providing information exclusively through this app is insufficient.
The majority of patients visiting healthcare facilities belong to vulnerable groups—for instance, due to advanced age, limited digital literacy, education level, economic status, or pre-existing health conditions.
“Not everyone owns a smartphone, has adequate internet access, or possesses the ability to use digital apps to obtain healthcare information,” he explained.
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Therefore, information regarding queues and bed availability should not be available solely via Mobile JKN. Hospitals are required to offer alternative information channels, such as digital information boards in waiting areas, screens displaying real-time queue numbers and bed availability, regularly updated manual information boards, and information staff capable of providing patients and their families with information quickly, accurately, and consistently.
It is important to highlight the persistent discrepancy between the information provided by the app or staff and the actual situation on the ground. This discrepancy causes confusion and uncertainty, and can lead to conflicts between patients and healthcare providers.
“Information transparency is an essential component of high-quality care and consumer protection,” Padian emphasized. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is encouraged to establish national standards requiring all healthcare facilities to provide a multi-channel service information system—meaning the same information is simultaneously available via digital apps, hospital information boards, electronic media, and staff members.
In this way, every patient—particularly those in vulnerable groups—has equal access to information without being dependent on a single digital platform.
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Transparency regarding waiting lists and bed availability is not merely an administrative matter but also an essential aspect of patient rights as healthcare consumers.
“Accurate, easily accessible, and regularly updated information will enhance service reliability, strengthen public trust in hospitals, and reduce the likelihood of disputes arising from unclear or conflicting information,” stated the chairperson of LAPK. ***obs
