Desperate man appeals for euthanasia on wife

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hasan Kesuma, 33, appealed to the Bogor Council on Friday to allow doctors to euthanize his wife, Agian Isna Naili, who has been in a coma for almost two months.

The unprecedented plea was made after doctors at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta said Agian had suffered permanent brain damage and would never return to her previous self. Agian has been in a coma since undergoing surgery days after giving birth.

Indonesian Medical Association chairman Farid Anfansa Moeloek said doctors could only euthanize a patient if they first received a court order approving the decision.

"(In general) euthanasia is against the law. But if a patient or his relatives want it done, they must obtain the court's consent," he was quoted as saying by Antara on Saturday.

Farid said euthanasia remained a controversial issue throughout the world.

"Passing a law on euthanasia is not urgent for Indonesia .... The sociocultural background of Indonesians should be taken into consideration, because it is natural for relatives to take care of loved ones who are in critical condition."

Agian gave birth at Bogor Islamic Hospital and was treated afterward at Yuliana Maternity Hospital.

On July 21, she was transferred back to Bogor Islamic Hospital after experiencing hypertension, where she was operated on by obstetrician Gunawan Muhammad. She has been in a coma since the operation.

She was treated at the Indonesian Red Cross Hospital in Bogor for two weeks, before being transferred to Pertamina Hospital for a CAT scan.

On Aug. 27, the Legal Aid Institute for Health Affairs (LBH Kesehatan) had Agian transferred to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta. The organization is looking into the possibility that Agian's condition was caused by malpractice on the part of the surgeon.

LBH Kesehatan has reported the case to the Tanah Sereal Police in Bogor, and Hasan has filed a complaint with the West Java Police.