Health care vital for MPR members<\/p>\n
By Emmy Fitri<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Nothing is more important for a politician than
\nto receive a literal and figurative clean bill of health if he or
\nshe wants to forge a brilliant career.<\/p>\n
To take into account this need, the Secretariat General of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has set up five makeshift
\nclinics in the MPR compound, and assigned doctors and paramedics
\nto stand by around-the-clock to provide medical services.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, we're worried about the health of House and
\nAssembly members who have to attend daily meetings with a much
\nheavier workload and pressure compared to last year's session,\"
\nthe head of the Assembly's health unit Moch. Arifin Achmad told
\nThe Jakarta Post in a recent interview.<\/p>\n
Arifin said House of Representatives (DPR) and Assembly
\nmembers -- who have convened since Oct. 1 and will continue to
\ndeliberate policy matters and the elections of the president and
\nvice president until Oct. 21 -- must be able to receive proper
\nmedical attention in order to stay in good health.<\/p>\n
For this year's session, the newly elected 700 members of the
\nHouse and the Assembly must attend working sessions continuously.
\nAn earlier schedule provided the legislators with a 10-day rest
\nperiod between the sessions.<\/p>\n
Arifin's medical concerns are not unfounded. On the first day
\nof the Assembly session, a 43-year-old on duty police officer
\ndied from a heart attack in one of the makeshift clinics.<\/p>\n
\"The incident could happen to anyone,\" said Arifin, who has
\nworked at the unit for almost 29 years.<\/p>\n
Of the five temporary clinics, three are operating, while the
\ntwo others will be operational on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21. On those
\ndates MPR members will elect the country's president and vice
\npresident, a first in the country's 54 years of independence.<\/p>\n
The clinics are well signposted. Each of them is equipped with
\na bed and ample medicinal supplies. The medical staff have been
\ntold to be on standby from the time the legislators start their
\ndeliberations until they leave the MPR building.<\/p>\n
In the case of an emergency, the secretariat is also providing
\nthree ambulances to transport MPR\/DPR members to the private
\nPelni General Hospital or the Harapan Kita Cardiac Center.<\/p>\n
\"So far we only find exhaustion and lack of sleep among the
\nAssembly members,\" said Arifin, who practices as a nutritionist.<\/p>\n
He said similar clinics had also been set up at the Sahid
\nJaya Hotel and Hotel Indonesia and were following the MPR members
\nwhen they moved to the Jakarta International Hilton Hotel and the
\nMulia Senayan Hotel.<\/p>\n
The MPR secretariat has assigned 67 health unit officials to
\ncare for the nation's legislators. The team comprises 12
\ncardiologists, six anesthetists, 21 general practitioners and 28
\nparamedics.<\/p>\n
\"During the session, the MPR secretary-general has officially
\nannounced that no holidays will be given except to pregnant
\nstaff,\" Arifin said.<\/p>\n
Health officials have complained that they possess scant
\ninformation about the health records of most MPR members.<\/p>\n
\"We even don't know the name and biographical data of all the
\nmembers. All we know is that the youngest is 30 years old and the
\noldest is 78,\" Arifin said<\/p>\n
The organizers of the current Assembly session did not request
\nthe incumbent members undergo medical checkups prior to the
\nsession due to time constraints. At previous Assemblies, a
\nmedical checkup for members was mandatory.<\/p>\n
\"For the previous House and Assemblies, we had complete data
\non members latest health condition days before the sessions
\nbegan,\" Arifin said.<\/p>\n
He said that as soon as the Assembly and House members ended
\nthe ongoing session, he planned to request all members undergo a
\nthorough medical checkup.<\/p>\n
\"This session is just the beginning for the newly elected
\nmembers. They still have to work for the next five years in
\ninsyaallah (God willing) the best state of health,\" Arifin said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/health-care-vital-for-mpr-members-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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