Desperate man appeals for euthanasia on wife

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.