Dangerous degrees

It is well-known in Medan and I'm sure also in the rest of Indonesia, that it's easy to obtain a university degree or diploma in Indonesia. There are of course many students who gain their degrees by honest hard work, but how can potential employers know who has genuinely earned their degrees.

We can only be sure that those students who graduated overseas have actually received proper training and obtained their degrees honestly. In my profession as a scientist, I have worked with Indonesian science graduates and I've been shocked by the huge differences between individuals -- some have a reasonable basic understanding of science, but there are many who have almost no comprehension of the science of which they hold degrees.

These "degrees" become dangerous when the holders of degrees are responsible for other people's lives, especially in the case of medical doctors. All too often, I hear of cases of patients dying because of errors by incompetent doctors and such cases are often aired on Indonesian TV. One often hears the saying, "we learn best from our mistakes", but in the case of medical doctors, it is not appropriate that doctors learn from their mistakes as their mistakes can kill.

There are many fine looking, well-equipped hospitals in Indonesia, but they're only as good as the doctors who work there and how can the ordinary person know which doctor is properly qualified. It is very obvious that most of the Indonesian public have no confidence in the Indonesian medical profession, as all the people who can afford reliable and safe medical treatment simply fly off to Malaysia and Singapore.

Education is the key to the development of Indonesia, to take the country out of its "third-world status". To develope a world respected educational system requires strong and genuine support from the Indonesian goverment. Such a change would take many decades to achieve, but the benefits to the nation would be immense and it would encourage overseas investment. With such investment, there would be no need for the millions of workers, who have to leave their familiies in Indonesia, while they work overseas in countries such as Malaysia and, in turn, add to the economy of the country where they work. LESLIE MARTIN BARCLAY Shah Alam Malaysia