Several staff members at a community clinic (Puskesmas) in Bogor regency have been dismissed from their jobs following an incident in which they appeared to turn away patients — including a pregnant woman — for karaoke.
Video taken last Friday just outside Situ Udik Puskesmas in Cibungbulang district has gone viral, showing a pregnant woman waiting to be admitted into the clinic. The woman filming the video can be heard saying that she thinks she may have COVID-19 and needs medical attention as well.
However, the entrance to the Puskesmas remained closed. An employee went outside to greet the two patients (with his mask down), explaining that the clinic was closed as it was time for Friday prayers, and asked the women to come back the next day. Throughout this time, music can be heard blaring from inside the Puskesmas with the people inside sounding like they’re having a jolly good out-of-tune time with karaoke.
The head of the Puskesmas has apologized to the public via the media, explaining that the staff technically did not throw a karaoke bash as they sang using the clinic’s PA system to music from YouTube to entertain themselves.
Even so, Bogor Regent Ade Yasin said he has dismissed the Puskesmas chief and two staffers over the incident, while clarifying that the Puskesmas staff did indeed deny access to the patients when the clinic should’ve been open at the time.
“Maybe they were stressed out or whatever. But it was wrong for them to do it during working hours,” Ade said yesterday.
“This can’t happen again. One incident is enough. All clinics are good, and when one does something bad, the others have their reputations harmed as well.”
