Hospital urged to clarify statement on AIDS case
JAKARTA (JP): The government regrets the ambiguous statement Medistra hospital recently issued about an AIDS case, an official said.
Fahmi Saifuddin, assistant to the State Minister for People's Welfare for health, religious affairs, population and the environment, told the press over the weekend that clearer information is needed to solve the problem.
The private hospital has reportedly discriminated against AIDS patients and barred Dr. Samsuridjal, one of its internists, from treating infected patients since early this month.
The hospital has denied the charges but has not explained why it barred the internist.
Fahmi, while opening a seminar on a doctor's role in preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS, said that the deadly disease is a serious public health problem.
"In handling the public health problem, there should be open communication between the government and the public," he said.
He reminded participants that medical problems cross ideological, religious and sexual barriers.
He urged all parties involved in the Medistra affair to quickly solve the problem.
Fahmi said the case is a national challenge. The country must prepare itself for bigger problems, especially the spread of AIDS.
Meanwhile Azrul Azwar, the chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association, urged the members of the association not to be discriminatory.
Speaking in front of 112 doctors, Azrul expressed his hope that they will treat patients equally.
He said that having fear and worry is human but doctors should be able to understand the patients' feelings.
Azrul told the press that he had received a letter from the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Health stating that Medistra denied it had refused to treat AIDS sufferers and had not restricted Samsuridjal.
Samsuridjal told the press recently that he had been ordered to stop examining patients because he had treated three AIDS sufferers.
Azrul said he had already given Samsuridjal the letter and was waiting for a response.
"I won't give any further comment," he said. "We should wait until the ministry finishes its investigation," he added.
Broto Wasisto, an expert staff member at the Ministry of Health, said on the same occasion that most hospitals don't object to taking care of people with AIDS.
Commenting on the Medistra case, he said any hospital which refused to care for AIDS sufferers would be punished administratively.
Zubairi Djoerban, another speaker at the seminar, said Indonesia is facing greater problems because there has been a sharp increase in sufferers.
He specified belated diagnoses as one reason for the increase.
He said patient's families must also be prepared to help.
Zubairi, who is also chairman of the AIDS special education group at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, said that many city hospitals are not ready to accept AIDS sufferers.
He indicated that the families of AIDS sufferers usually want them admitted to hospital.
Dadang Hawari, a psychiatrist, stated during the seminar that AIDS is more a "lifestyle disease" than anything else.
He emphasized that 90 percent of infection occurs through sexual contact, especially among people who practice free sex or frequent prostitutes.
Dadang, who is also the president of the ASEAN Federation for Psychiatry and Mental Health, said that psychological and religious approaches within a family can help improve the ability of its members to stay away from this lifestyle. (05)