Parties ignore health issues<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The country's political parties lack any form of concern about
\nhealth issues, a non-governmental organization says.<\/p>\n
The Legal Aid Institute for Health (LBH Kesehatan) drew its
\nconclusion from the fact that only a quarter of the parties
\nattended the health discussions it held on five consecutive days,
\nending on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Out of the 24 parties qualified to contest the April 5
\nelection, only the United Development Party (PPP), the Golkar
\nParty, the Pancasila Patriot Party, the New Indonesia Alliance
\nParty (PPIB), the Indonesian Nahdlatul Community Party (PPNUI)
\nand the Social Democratic Labor Party (PBSD) sent representatives
\nto the discussions.<\/p>\n
"However, none of them were willing to sign the health
\ncontract, which we intend to draft," said Iskandar Sitorus of LBH
\nKesehatan.<\/p>\n
He said the document would state that the parties promised to
\ndo certain things to ensure public access to health if they
\nmanaged to win seats in the legislative bodies. Details of the
\ncontract were still being discussed, Iskandar said.<\/p>\n
"If they signed the contracts, we would have a legal basis to
\nsue them if they did otherwise," he said.<\/p>\n
During the meetings, several observers, including former
\nIndonesian Medical Association (IDI) chairman Kartono Mohamad,
\nsaid the parties were only concerned about how to win seats.<\/p>\n
Iskandar said there were some parties that had criticized the
\nLBH Kesehatan for organizing the discussions during the election
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
"This is ridiculous, we sent the invitations out on March 16
\nand March 17, a week before the discussions started," he said.<\/p>\n
Of the parties that turned up, only two presented papers on
\ntheir health programs and distributed them to the audience.<\/p>\n
"The best among the worst were Golkar and the PPP. At least
\nthey slightly understood the current health system," said
\nIskandar. "However, they did not know how to build an ideal
\nhealth system."<\/p>\n
Unsatisfied with the attitude of parties to the discussions,
\nthe LBH Kesehatan is planning to hold a public debate on health
\nissues with the presidential candidates in June.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/parties-ignore-health-issues-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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