Jakarta. Medistra Hospital Jakarta has issued an apology for its policy prohibiting the wearing of hijabs by doctors, nurses, and other medical staff after a letter from a doctor raised concerns about the restriction.

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the discrimination experienced by one of our healthcare candidates during the recruitment process," said Dr. Agung Budisatria, Director of Medistra Hospital, in a written statement on Monday.

Dr. Agung stated that the issue is currently being addressed by hospital management. He emphasized that Medistra Hospital is committed to welcoming all individuals and providing quality healthcare services to the community.

"In the future, we will strengthen our control over recruitment procedures and communication to ensure that messages are clearly understood by all parties," he added.

The controversy surrounding the hijab policy surfaced after a letter from Dr. Diani Kartini, a specialist surgeon, went viral on social media.

In the letter dated Aug. 29, Dr. Diani questioned the hospital's policy regarding hijabs during interviews with prospective employees. The policy reportedly involved asking candidates if they would be willing to remove their hijabs if hired.

Dr. Diani also challenged Medistra Hospital's claim of being an international institution while implementing practices she viewed as discriminatory. She compared Medistra to other busy hospitals in South Jakarta that permit all employees, including nurses, general practitioners, specialists, and sub-specialists, to wear hijabs.

Dr. Diani has since resigned.

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