Diagnosis and dispensing

I refer to Hananto's article in The Jakarta Post on Oct. 19 which is very comprehensive and is useful feedback for our new government.

However, I would like to point out that the fundamentals of a good healthcare system in a democratic society should include the following principles: 1. A separation in diagnosis (doctors) and dispensing (pharmacists). This is clearly stated in our regulations but unfortunately not always practiced. It is a fact that most of our pharmacists do not practice in pharmacies but have their names on the board and documents of the businesses. And the government accepts this bad practice. 2. The health ministry should not only make regulations but implement and control their execution and whoever violates them should be punished. 3. Health officials should not have double roles like being civil servants and also practicing in hospitals. 4. The deregulation policy in health-care should be reviewed since it has become "the survival of the fittest" in the trading world. The result is health-trading and malpractice.

I would like to quote H. Assegaf from Media Indonesia on Oct. 17 who said: "To become a doctor is good and noble, to become an entrepreneur is good, but to become a doctor-entrepreneur is an insult".

So the conclusion is that improving health infrastructure, discipline and dedication is not possible if law-enforcement, fighting corruption and good personnel policies are neglected. Therefore I believe our new government will only succeed by "Doing the right thing and doing the thing right".

I wish our new President and Cabinet ministers good luck, especially our first woman Health Minister.

THERESIA PERMADI Jakarta