Govt to probe hospital's alleged anti-AIDS policy

Govt to probe hospital's alleged anti-AIDS policy

JAKARTA (JP): The government has ordered an investigation into
the conduct of Medistra, a private hospital in Jakarta, following
allegations that it has discriminated against AIDS patients.

Suheni Sudjatmiko, the head of the Ministry of Health's public
affairs department, said yesterday that the Ministry has
requested that its Jakarta office look into the matter.

"In principle, based on the national strategy on the
containment of AIDS, there should be no discrimination against
AIDS patients," Suheni told The Jakarta Post.

"The Director General of Medical Services, in his capacity as
a member of the National Commission for the Containment of AIDS,
has also asked the Coordinator of the Commission to look into the
matter," she said.

Meanwhile, the commission, which is chaired by Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas, is also looking into
the matter.

Suyono Yahya, one of Azwar's staff members, said the
Commission is prepared to clarify the national strategy in
dealing with AIDS should need be.

The commission will first check up on the relationship of the
Medistra management and Sjamsuridjal with the Ministry's Director
General of Medical Services, he said.

Sjamsuridjal Djauzi, the doctor, said at a press conference
held by the Indonesian Medical Association on Saturday that he
had also been asked to stop treating all hospital patients. The
management, however, has fallen short of firing him.

A secretary at the hospital, located in South Jakarta, said
that the management was meeting yesterday to discuss the matter
and will issue a statement to the press today.

The Indonesian Consumer's Foundation, YLKI, yesterday said it
was outraged by Medistra's "discriminative" practices against
AIDS patients.

"The discriminative services towards patients with AIDS at the
Medistra hospital in Jakarta is outrageous and is a threat to
efforts to overcome AIDS in Indonesia," it said in a statement.

YLKI also criticized Minister of Health Sujudi, saying that
his expression of regret at Medistra's action was not enough.

"YLKI is concerned that Minister of Health Sujudi only
regretted the incidence....(He) should investigate the problem
and immediately take firm action...to prevent the same treatment
from being practiced by other hospitals."

Sujudi's remarks were published in the Republika daily
newspaper yesterday.

Sjamsuridjal said on Saturday that he had been treating three
AIDS patients at Medistra for the last six months.

"I don't know what the fate of the patients is now," he said.

"I have not been dismissed by the hospital...the management
only barred me from treating patients," he added.

He refuted the management's argument that Medistra lacked
equipment and specialists to deal with AIDS cases, pointing out
that the hospital had three internists, including himself.

The Indonesian Medical Association on Saturday supported
Sjamsuridjal and appealed to all hospitals to keep their doors
open to people with AIDS.

The association stressed the need for a more professional
relationship between doctors and hospital managements.

YLKI also stated that "there is still excessive fear among
health personnel" towards patients with HIV/AIDS, indicated by
the hospital's "isolation of a medical professional who
understands HIV/AIDS."

"This incident shows that the Ministry of Health has not
succeeded in distributing information on patients with HIV/AIDS,"
YLKI said. (anr)