Five leading parties against abortion<\/p>\n
DEPOK, West Java (JP): Five leading political parties
\ncontesting the June 7 general election say they are against
\nabortion, grouping it with AIDS and other sexually transmitted
\ndiseases as \"problems of moral and religious crisis\".<\/p>\n
Politicians of the National Mandate Party (PAN), National
\nAwakening Party (PKB), Golkar Party, Justice Party (PK) and the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) agreed
\nin a seminar here on Thursday that abortion is against religious
\nand moral values and must be forbidden.<\/p>\n
The politicians, four of whom were doctors, were Sanusi
\nTambunan of PAN, Abdul Wahid of PKB, Ulla Nuchrawaty of Golkar,
\nNaharus Surur of PK and Sukowaluyo Mintorahardjo of PDI
\nPerjuangan.<\/p>\n
\"Abortion is against moral and religious values. It is wrong
\nand must be forbidden,\" Sukowaluyo said.<\/p>\n
The discussion, titled \"Towards a New and Healthy Indonesia,\"
\nwas organized by the Faculty of Public Health of the University
\nof Indonesia. The discussion was also attended by medical
\nexperts, including former chairman of the Indonesian Medical
\nAssociation (IDI) Kartono Mohamad who became visibly irritated by
\nthe politicians' stance on abortion.<\/p>\n
Quoting data from the World Health Organization (WHO), he said
\nunsafe abortions accounted for 30 percent of the total mortality
\nrate among women. He also cited studies that showed most
\nabortions were an option taken by married women rather than by
\nteenagers or free sex practitioners.<\/p>\n
\"So stop giving normative, hypocritical answers. Which is
\nbetter, saving a woman's life or sacrificing her over
\nhypocritical excuses?\" Kartono demanded.<\/p>\n
Another attendant in the audience told Sukowaluyo that the
\nleader of PDI Perjuangan, Megawati Soekarnoputri, is a woman, and
\nthat 52 percent of Indonesia's eligible voters are women. It was
\ntherefore reasonable, he said, that the party campaign for
\nwomen's rights to decide on their own whether to have abortions.<\/p>\n
\"There is no correlation between having a female leader and
\nthe abortion (issue),\" Sukowaluyo retorted.<\/p>\n
Kartono believed no satisfying answers were given by the
\npoliticians during the session.<\/p>\n
\"They have much to learn. Health is an important issue but
\nthey have made it a mere political commodity,\" Kartono said to
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
The politicians also pledged to lower medicine prices and
\nimprove health management through decentralization. They agreed
\nthat smoking is a bad habit, \"but they have to respect the rights
\nof smoking people,\" and suggested for non-smoking areas to be
\nimplemented in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Our party will strive for an increase in the next state
\nhealth budget from the previous 2.3 percent out of Rp 263.88
\ntrillion to at least 5 percent,\" Naharus.<\/p>\n
\"Health is a crucial investment for human resource development
\nbut all this time we gave little attention to it,\" Naharus said.<\/p>\n
\"We have to start by supporting a decentralization of health
\nadministration and management and by empowering people at the
\ngrassroots level where they are hit the hardest by the impacts of
\nthe crisis,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ulla said empowerment should start at the community health
\nclinics, popularly called Puskesmas.<\/p>\n
\"It is time for health clinics not to be filled only by
\ndoctors, but also public health experts as well as
\nenvironmentalists and other specialists.\"<\/p>\n
\"Currently, doctors play all of those roles,\" she said.<\/p>\n
A lack of awareness towards healthy living among people often
\nhinders efforts to develop a healthy environment, Sukowaluyo
\nnoted.<\/p>\n
\"Many people still fail to understand the consequences of
\ntheir own actions. For instance, a street cleaner sweeps the
\nroads but dumps the litter into the gutter. This is
\nridiculous ... as it (causes) flooding,\" Sukowaluyo said.<\/p>\n
He spoke about the need to change people's habits and educate
\nthe public, including many health officials, in order to develop
\na healthy environment.<\/p>\n
\"Our party will give examples by presenting a clean and
\npeaceful campaign for the June 7 poll.\"<\/p>\n
The five politicians also expressed support for an anti-
\nsmoking campaign.<\/p>\n
\"But I wouldn't agree if the government drastically shuts down
\ntobacco plantations or forbids people to smoke. That's
\nimpossible,\" Sanusi said.<\/p>\n
\"We have a presidential candidate who smokes,\" Sanusi said,
\nreferring to Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a presidential nominee of the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB).<\/p>\n
The politicians also agreed on the need to cut distribution
\nchains in order to lower medicine prices. They said the
\nmanufacturers, the major wholesalers or agents, and retailers
\nbilled fees that went towards the increased drug price in most
\ncases.<\/p>\n
\"This is why Golkar will campaign for a policy under which
\ndoctors may dispense medicines to patients at cheaper prices,\"
\nUlla said.<\/p>\n
Medicines that are directly distributed, she said, \"means the
\nlong bureaucratic chain of distribution could be cut off\".<\/p>\n
A common medicine price list along with clear regulations and
\nsanctions authorizing doctors to dispense medicines, must be set
\nup by the government, she added.<\/p>\n
Currently there are 224 companies which produce 16,000 types
\nof medicines in Indonesia, Ulla said.<\/p>\n
\"We will also have to question the government about the
\nimportation of raw materials for drugs. Most of the medicines
\nproduced here contain up to 90 percent imported materials (which
\ncause skyrocketing prices),\" Sanusi said. \"We suggest the
\nimported materials be substituted with local ones so production
\ncosts can be lowered.\" (edt)<\/p>",
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