Jakarta, Aug. 23 -- Indonesia's Health Ministry has confirmed 733 cases of bullying within the country's Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS) as of August 15, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Friday.

The cases were verified from 2,920 complaints submitted through the ministry's reporting platform, which saw a surge following public outcry over viral bullying incidents in medical institutions.

"After verification, 733 reports met the criteria for bullying," Budi said at a national seminar on bullying, corruption, and sexual violence prevention at Padjadjaran University in Bandung.

Of the confirmed cases, 433 occurred in health facilities and medical institutions under the Health Ministry's authority. The remaining cases...