Cases of violence against healthcare workers have once again drawn public attention. Such incidents not only harm the individuals who fall victim but also leave a deep scar on the healthcare service system. In fact, healthcare workers are the frontline professionals who, every day, dedicate themselves to protecting, caring for, and restoring the health of the community.

This issue has become increasingly relevant with the recent incident widely discussed in public discourse: an act of violence committed by a patient’s family against healthcare workers at a healthcare facility. This incident reflects the public’s limited understanding of the vital role of healthcare professionals and underscores the urgent need for decisive measures to protect them.

Responding to this situation, Prof. Agung Waluyo, S.Kp., M.Sc., Ph.D., Professor at the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Indonesia (FoN UI), together with Professors from the Faculty of Medicine (FMUI) and Faculty of Public Health (FPH UI), participated in a panel discussion organized by ILUNI FKUI involving the UI Health Sciences Cluster on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at UI Salemba. The panel discussion, entitled *“Stop Violence Against Healthcare Workers,”* served as a forum where Prof. Agung conveyed FoN UI’s stance while emphasizing the importance of fostering humane communication and ensuring real protection for healthcare workers.

“Healthcare workers are not the enemy. They are here to help, protect, and accompany the community in its most vulnerable moments. Violence in any form—whether physical, verbal, or psychological—not only harms them personally but also disrupts the continuity of healthcare services,” said Prof. Agung.

To prevent similar incidents from recurring, the Professors of the Health Sciences Cluster at Universitas Indonesia proposed several concrete measures:

1. Strengthening regulations and law enforcement : Stricter enforcement of rules and laws against perpetrators of violence will not only serve as a deterrent but also provide a sense of security for healthcare workers.
2. Improving public health literacy : Public health literacy needs to be improved through continuous education, fostering mutual understanding, respect, and trust between healthcare workers and the community.
3. Improving the humanistic communication system : The communication system in healthcare services needs to be built with a human-centered approach, so that interactions between healthcare workers, patients, and their families are carried out with empathy, transparency, and mutual respect.
4. Synergy between health professionals and professional institutions : Cross-professional and inter-institutional collaboration is essential to promote policies that ensure both the safety and well-being of healthcare workers.

The Professors emphasized that protecting healthcare workers is an inseparable part of safeguarding human rights and ensuring the sustainability of the national healthcare system.

“Public health can only be safeguarded if healthcare workers are protected. Let us begin to see them as partners who sincerely dedicate their work to our lives,” concluded Prof. Agung.