Medistra denies turning away AIDS patients<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Medistra Hospital has denied charges that it
\ndiscriminates against people suffering from the Acquired Immune
\nDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), but is keeping tight-lipped over
\nclaims that it has barred one of its medical interns from
\ntreating such patients.<\/p>\n
\"We do not reject patients with AIDS,\" the hospital's
\nspokesperson R. Widiati said yesterday. \"We have never put them
\nin isolated rooms. They are treated well here,\" she added.<\/p>\n
However, she declined to comment on recent reports that the
\nhospital management has taken punitive action against a doctor
\nemployed by the hospital, Sjamsuridjal Djauzi, for treating an
\nAIDS patient.<\/p>\n
\"But the director (Evie Tilaar) will report to the Ministry of
\nHealth and other relevant bodies regarding doctor Sjamsuridjal in
\na couple of days,\" Widiati told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Last week, Sjamsuridjal said he had been informed by an
\nofficial of the hospital that he was no longer allowed to treat
\nAIDS patients.<\/p>\n
Widiati said Medistra Hospital, located on Jl. Gatot Subroto,
\nSouth Jakarta, has treated a number of patients admitted with
\nAIDS.<\/p>\n
\"One of them returned home just a few months ago,\" she said.
\n\"But at present, we have no patients with AIDS...They have all
\nreturned to their families on their own volition.\"<\/p>\n
Asked whether the hospital would readmit those patients if
\nthey returned to the hospital for further treatment, Widiati
\nreplied that she did not have details of what the hospital's
\nresponse would be to such a situation.<\/p>\n
She added, however, that none of the AIDS patients previously
\ntreated by the hospital had returned for further consultations or
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Indonesian Hospital
\nAssociation, Samsi Jacobalis, said that people infected with
\nHIV\/AIDS should be treated at the hospitals which already have
\nappropriate equipment and trained personnel.<\/p>\n
\"Although the national strategy in the fight against AIDS
\nrules out discrimination, the fact is that not all hospitals are
\nreally ready for that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"As soon as a person is diagnosed as having been infected with
\nHIV\/AIDS, we suggest that he or she be referred to such
\nhospitals,\" Samsi said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, hospitals which already have special equipment and
\nspecially-trained medical personnel are the state-owned Cipto
\nMangunkusumo General Hospital and the privately-owned Julianti
\nSaroso Hospital for Infectious Diseases in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the association was considering punitive action
\nagainst the Medistra Hospital should it turn out to have
\ndiscriminated against AIDS sufferers, Samsi said that was a
\nquestion of ethics in relation to which there are, as yet, no
\nrules.<\/p>\n
Widiati denied claims that the Medistra Hospital has no
\nequipment and trained personnel to treat AIDS patients.<\/p>\n
\"We have routine lectures on AIDS and HIV for both our medical
\npersonnel and patients,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The sessions help staff and patients understand how to handle
\npatients with HIV\/AIDS, including the staff who change the
\npatients' bed sheets,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Medical Association has made it clear in recent
\ndays that it strongly opposes any discrimination against AIDS
\npatients on the part of hospitals.<\/p>\n
After inaugurating a new medical rehabilitation center at
\nCipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Minister of Health Sujudi said that
\nany AIDS patients who believe they have been discriminated
\nagainst may complain to his ministry.<\/p>\n
The ministry has published guidelines for hospitals regarding
\nthe handling of patients with HIV\/AIDS, he added. (anr\/01)<\/p>",
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