Health center reported to police

JAKARTA (JP): A man reported a community health center in the Cilincing district, North Jakarta, to the police, for administering a drug which he said caused the death of his wife.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday the man, Herlan, 37, said the health center was responsible for the death of Helmi, who was nine months pregnant. She died Tuesday.

Aritonang said Helmi, 35, went to the health center Tuesday morning for her routine checkup.

"Helmi went to the center alone because Herlan was working that morning," Aritonang said, adding the couple live on Jl. Tanah Merdeka, Cilincing.

Herlan told police his wife's nose started to bleed when she took the tablet prescribed by the doctor at the health center.

She received first aid treatment at the nearby Koja hospital before she died at 9:30 p.m. that night.

Police reports said Helmi's nose was bleeding, her eyes turned blue, and she was biting her tongue while sticking it out of her mouth.

Aritonang said police were still waiting for the report on the postmortem test on Helmi's body before proceeding with Herlan's charge against the health center.

"It will take quite a long time to conduct a postmortem test on an intoxicated body," Aritonang said.

Head of the city's health agency, Aslan Lasman, said a team has been set up to investigate the case. (cst)