Individual life part of democracy

Is it not true that an integral part of democracy is the belief that an individual's life is precious and should be protected? Regardless of ethnicity, religion or status, each individual has the right to fair humanitarian treatment. The value of each individual's life should not be determined by the person's financial status, or should it?

Hospitals in Indonesia would no doubt argue that saving a person's life depends on the ability to pay for the service. A case in point is the recent story about the bus conductor who was beaten half to death by a mob of young school boys who, not unlike hospitals here, regarded the bus conductor's life as trivial. The badly injured man was taken to the hospital but unfortunately he had forgotten to bring sufficient funds with him for the surgery (how careless of him). These good Samaritans who took him to the hospital had made the same mistake (which only goes to show that only rich people should help people who require hospital treatment).

The man's family could not be contacted either (no doubt they had forgotten to buy a mobile phone) so the doctors left the man to die. A doctor at the hospital actually admitted that the man could have been saved but he didn't have any money. "Oh, OK. Sorry to have taken up so much of your valuable time. I'll just put the body in the fridge because I suppose the cemetery will want payment up front too."

Let's face it. Hospitals are businesses. Nobody said they had to behave in a humanitarian way and by the same token do you think businessmen here become government ministers to improve the welfare of the masses? Oh I'm sorry. I got that wrong too! I suppose we have no business demanding that hospitals respect the individual's life or that they should actually care about people, unless of course you happen to be a celebrity or a minister.

I once had to call an ambulance for one of the staff in my office, (she had fallen down the stairs) but the driver adamantly refused to take her to the hospital unless I paid him first (Rp 12,500). The hospital refused to give her painkillers because no- one had put money up front and then we were given an endless list of drugs on the prescription (excluding painkillers) that served no other purpose than ensuring that the hospital earned a commission on the sale. I was appalled then and I am still appalled at the callousness of doctors here.

So, I guess the bus conductor's wife and two children should just resign themselves to this quirk of human nature and carry on in the knowledge that their lives were also worthless. The doctors can all go home after a hard day's work at the office and shake their heads in horror at the news reports of atrocities in Kosovo. The students can go on demonstrating for reform in front of government buildings when they should actually be demonstrating in front of hospitals that allow people to die needlessly. And the hospitals can go on counting their profits in the knowledge that nobody cares anyway.

Oh, but wouldn't it be ironic if the very same doctor found himself in the very same position as the bus conductor, having been robbed on the way home. No money in his pockets, wallet gone too, and the wife and kids have gone on a shopping spree abroad and can't be contacted. "Oh, we're terribly sorry but no money, no contactable relatives, no proof of status. We'd love to help but well, you know the deal! Next!"

JOHN C. TORR

Jakarta