Independent medical council proposed<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The country's medical association and legislators agreed in a
\nhearing on Tuesday that a medical council to be established under
\na health bill should be independent in order to protect public
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
\"It is in line with the bill on the principles of medical
\npractice, which are to protect the people, to guide doctors and
\nto empower medical institutions and associations,\" chairman of
\nthe Indonesian Doctors Association Farid Anfasa Moeloek said in a
\nhearing with members of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Independence is necessary to avoid possible intervention from
\nthe government, Moeloek said, but added that the council would
\nreport to the president.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of House Commission VII Achmad Sanoesi
\nTambunan said in the hearing that the council would also have the
\nauthority to determine whether a suit filed by a patient would be
\nregarded as a case of negligence, accident or malpractice.<\/p>\n
Both parties were referring to the proposed Indonesian Medical
\nCouncil, which will be tasked with handling lawsuits from
\npatients.<\/p>\n
The bill, however, has yet to spell out the council's
\nauthority in processing lawsuits. It only says that the council
\nhas several powers, including the drawing up of educational
\nstandards for the medical profession, and issuing and revoking
\nregistration certificates.<\/p>\n
Malpractice is not uncommon in Indonesia with patients almost
\nalways ending up in a disadvantageous position because of the
\nweak legal system. A man sued three hospitals in March after his
\nwife died in one of Jakarta's hospitals. A doctor in the hospital
\ninserted a catheter into his wife's neck to administer an
\nanesthetic. The man claimed that the doctor was a general
\npractitioner and not an anesthesiologist.<\/p>\n
Other incidents in recent months included a university
\nresearcher in Jakarta who was paralyzed from the waist down after
\nreceiving an Enoxaparin Sodium injection when doctors treated him
\nfor a supposed heart attack. Doctors in Singapore later found
\nnothing wrong with his heart and said that he was only suffering
\nfrom fatigue.<\/p>\n
In West Java town of Cirebon, a cancer patient died following
\nsurgery after receiving a blood transfusion of type A blood,
\nwhile the patient's blood type was actually O.<\/p>\n
Sanoesi said that if the council decided that the complaint
\nwas a malpractice case, then it would bring the case to court.
\nOtherwise, in cases of negligence or accident, they would go to
\nthe Medical Profession Disciplinary Court for further
\nproceedings.<\/p>\n
However, a coalition of six non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs) had earlier rejected the idea of passing a lawsuit to such
\na court saying no doctor would be willing to testify against his
\nor her peers. The NGOs include the Indonesian Health Consumers
\nEmpowerment Foundation (YPKKI) and the Indonesian Consumers
\nFoundation (YLKI).<\/p>\n
The bill also spells out punishment for errant medical
\npractitioners that include revocation of medical licenses or
\nassignment to other tasks for up to one year and compulsory
\neducation in medical school. The sanctions were considered too
\nlenient by the coalition compared to the possible losses suffered
\nby the patients.<\/p>\n
What is needed, according to the coalition, is a bill on
\nmedical services, not a bill on medical practices.<\/p>\n
As an effort to improve the quality of medical services, the
\ncouncil is expected to manage, determine and improve the level of
\ncompetency of doctors.<\/p>\n
The council will consist of 25 persons, of which 15 are
\ndoctors, four are staff members of the Ministry of Health, four
\nare staff members of the Ministry of National Education and two
\nare citizens.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/independent-medical-council-proposed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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