On the morning of 4 November 2025, Governor Matius D. Fakhiri arrived unannounced at RSUD Dok II Jayapura, the flagship public hospital in Papua’s capital. His mission: to inspect the hospital’s management, services, and systems. What his inspection revealed, and the swift action that followed, underscore a broader push for healthcare reform and administrative accountability in one of Indonesia’s most remote provinces.
A Sudden Visit, A Stark Reality
Governor Fakhiri’s arrival at RSUD Dok II was exactly that—sudden. Without prior announcement, he moved through wards, service counters, waiting rooms, and administrative offices. What he found, according to news reports, was “manajemen semrawut” (chaotic management), inadequate service to patients, delayed admissions, and a sense that the hospital was not living up to its status as the regional public hospital of reference.
In his remarks following the inspection, Fakhiri remarked, “It is not the doctors or nurses who are incapable—it is the hospital management and the health office that are in disarray.”
He emphasized that for a region like Papua, where geography, infrastructure, and the health gap are already major challenges, poor management cannot be tolerated.
Immediate Consequence: Dismissal of the Director
Within hours of his inspection, Governor Fakhiri announced the dismissal of the Acting Director of RSUD Dok II—Dr. Aaron Rumainum. The decision was public and unequivocal: “I assure you today I will remove the hospital director, and then I will evaluate all management,” he said.
In the same announcement, he indicated that this would not be an isolated case. Other hospital management teams may also face evaluation or replacement. His message was clear: substandard service will not pass under the new leadership. The dismissal serves both symbolic and practical functions—symbolically signalling zero tolerance for poor performance and practically opening space for a management overhaul.
Reform Agenda: Beyond One Hospital
Governor Fakhiri framed the inspection and dismissal as part of a broader agenda. In recent months, he has emphasized reform of the public service culture in Papua: transparency, discipline, and accountability have featured in his speeches to the public service workforce.
The hospital action therefore forms part of a systemic effort to raise the bar in health services throughout the province.
He declared that he would carry out unannounced inspections (“sidak”) across hospitals and health facilities in Papua, particularly in remote districts. His aim: to ensure that citizens in every part of the province receive basic healthcare without having to travel long distances or suffer bureaucratic neglect.
He emphasized that the large subsidies and autonomy funding allocated to Papua’s health sector must translate into improved outcomes—better admissions, shorter waiting times, functioning emergency response, and dignity for patients. In his view, reform must reach beyond infrastructure and reflect improvements in management, service culture, and responsiveness.
Why This Matters in Papua
Papua, while rich in natural resources and culture, remains one of Indonesia’s most challenging regions in terms of health indicators. Geographic remoteness, limited infrastructure, shortage of skilled specialists, and institutional weakness all combine to create a gap in services compared to more developed provinces. This is precisely why the governor’s move has wider significance.
By targeting the management of the main referral hospital in Jayapura, Fakhiri is addressing a vital bottleneck. RSUD Dok II is the major public hospital in the provincial capital and serves as a reference point for the region’s health system. Improving its performance has ripple effects: it reinforces public trust, reduces pressure on private or out-of-region referrals, and signals to health workers and administrators that service must improve.
In his inspection he made clear that treatment must never be delayed because of bureaucracy or poor coordination: “Receive the patient first. Later we will handle BPJS or other formalities. The hospital must not refuse Papuans who come to get medical help.”
This touches directly on equity and access.
Outlook: What Reform Requires
While the governor’s action is bold, converting it into sustained improvement will require several critical components.
First, leadership replacement is only the start. The new management at RSUD Dok II must be equipped with the authority, resources, and skills to deliver. That means oversight mechanisms, performance metrics, routine evaluations, and a feedback loop from patients and staff.
Second, system-wide monitoring and unannounced inspections (like the one that triggered this action) should become institutionalized. Fakhiri’s rhetoric on making inspections standard suggests a shift towards continuous oversight rather than episodic checks.
Third, institutional culture must shift from passive compliance to active service orientation. The message is clear—patients come first. Staff at all levels must feel accountable, empowered, and supported to deliver.
Fourth, alignment between provincial government, health department, hospital management, and community stakeholders is crucial. The governor’s statements emphasize this. Uncoordinated efforts will fail; reform must be collaborative, not top-down only.
Fifth, transparency matters. Public reporting of hospital performance, waiting times, complaints, and follow-up would help restore public trust. In a region where trust in service has been weakened, visible accountability is powerful.
Anticipating Impact: Early Signals and Future Possibilities
If the leadership change and inspection regime are followed through effectively, several positive outcomes may appear within the next year or two. Waiting times for key services may reduce. Referral to mainland Indonesia for treatments might decline. Local patients may experience better bedside care, more reliable diagnostics, and fewer administrative delays.
Moreover, the governor’s signal may prompt other hospitals across Papua’s health system to audit their internal operations proactively, anticipating scrutiny. That kind of ripple effect could raise the standard of healthcare across the province—especially if tied to the broader agenda of building new facilities and investing in infrastructure.
In the medium term, improved hospital performance in Jayapura may also help recruit and retain specialist doctors in Papua—because they will come to find a functioning system, not a broken one. That could reduce the “brain drain” of health professionals leaving for more developed regions.
Finally, the action may strengthen public confidence in government-provided health services, which is essential for inclusive development. In Papua, where many live in remote areas and rely on government hospitals, trust is an essential currency. Governor Fakhiri’s inspection may thus function as a trust-rebuilding exercise as much as a management intervention.
Conclusion
Governor Matius D. Fakhiri’s surprise inspection and immediate dismissal of the RSUD Dok II Jayapura director represent a turning point in Papua’s health-service reform. What began as a one-hospital action carries implications for the entire provincial system. It sets a clear message: in Papua, public health must improve, management must be accountable, and patients must come first.
The challenge ahead is sizeable. Geography, infrastructure, human-resource constraints, and historical service gaps are formidable. But the governor has chosen a visible anchor point—the referral hospital in the provincial capital—to begin change. If leadership is sustained, oversight mechanisms activated, and community trust rebuilt, this could mark the start of a new era: a Papua where healthcare is not an afterthought but a priority.
For the thousands of Papuans who visit RSUD Dok II each year, the governor’s words mean this: “We will not accept substandard service.” Now the system must deliver on that promise.