Vaccine officials escape action over baby's death<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The parents of the baby girl who died after a
\npolio vaccine on Tuesday could have sued officials for
\nnegligence, a noted lawyer said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Amir Syamsuddin said the officials in charge of the
\nimmunization post \"violated the family's right to information\" as
\nthey only focused on the administration of the vaccine while the
\nbaby was already very sick.<\/p>\n
Maryati, the 14-month-old girl, died shortly after receiving
\npolio vaccine drops at the post in the Palasari village in the
\nLegok district, Tangerang, West Java. The deceased had been taken
\nto the post by her grandmother.<\/p>\n
The deceased's father, Hosen, a motorcycle-taxi driver and
\nfather of eight, signed a formal statement from the village
\nhead's office saying he would not sue for damages, and that his
\ndaughters' death was not related to the polio vaccine.<\/p>\n
The victim's grandmother had told the officials that Maryati
\nhad been diagnosed as suffering from typhoid, and that she had a
\nfever.<\/p>\n
Maryati had been treated at home as her parents could not
\nafford hospital treatment.<\/p>\n
The people at the post said the vaccine was harmless even to
\nsick children and administered the vaccine to the baby.<\/p>\n
The former head of the Indonesian Medical Association, Kartono
\nMohamad, earlier said the vaccine is safe, but the post officials
\nshould at least have informed the grandmother to immediately take
\nthe child to a doctor.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Amir said that if officials at the post were not
\nmedical professionals, but laypersons recruited for the
\nnationwide drive like millions of others, it may be difficult to
\npin responsibility on them.<\/p>\n
Lesson<\/p>\n
As the anti-polio drive is focused on quotas, Amir said
\nMaryati's death should serve as a lesson for more professionalism
\nof the national committee of polio immunization week.<\/p>\n
\"Although this is only one case in an important cause, higher
\nstandards of precaution against risks should be expected of the
\ninstitutions entrusted to carry out the national drive,\" Amir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
If such a case happens again this would ruin the image of the
\nnational committee, Amir said.<\/p>\n
The next day of this drive's second of three rounds will be
\nheld on Oct. 15. The next round is planned for next year.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the Tangerang regent, AR Syaifullah, said the
\nstatement Hosen signed \"was merely for administrative purposes\"
\nand maintained the baby did not die because of the vaccine.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the council commission for public welfare,
\nAtje Muljadi, said the Tangerang case should not be repeated.
\n\"It should not happen in Jakarta,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The fact that Maryati's grandmother was not given any
\ninformation regarding the baby's health, except that the vaccine
\nwas harmless, \"means that the immunization post officials should
\nbe more careful\", Atje said.<\/p>\n
However the chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association,
\nAzrul Azwar, said expectations that officials be equipped beyond
\nvaccine administration skills are not realistic for the mass
\nanti-polio drive.<\/p>\n
The post where Maryati was taken to could not be blamed, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
\"Training on other things apart from administering the vaccine
\nwould risk the success of the national drive,\" Azrul said.
\nIndonesia aims to eradicate polio by the year 2000.<\/p>\n
What was regrettable, he said, was the statement from
\nofficials that Maryati's father signed.<\/p>\n
\"There was no need to forward a statement which cannot serve
\nas a legal document,\" Azrul said.<\/p>\n
The right of the family should be respected, whether they want
\nto sue or not, he said.<\/p>\n
\"But the officials could have just explained that the vaccine
\ncould not be the cause of death,\" he said. (28\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vaccine-officials-escape-action-over-babys-death-1447893297",
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