Jakarta hospital reinstates doctor in AIDS conflict

Jakarta hospital reinstates doctor in AIDS conflict

JAKARTA (JP): The management of the private Medistra hospital
agreed yesterday to reinstate one of its leading AIDS doctors.

Medistra has been caught in a controversy since Sjamsuridjal
Djauzi, a doctor at the hospital, disclosed that he had been
barred from treating patients.

"As of today, Dr. Sjamsuridjal may again treat patients at
Medistra," said the director of the hospital in South Jakarta,
Evie Tilaar.

"When we barred him from treating patients, it was understood
to be temporary, due to differences in opinion on handling
patients with AIDS," Tilaar said at a press conference at the
Ministry of Health.

The press conference was called after Tilaar and other
Medistra executives held a meeting with ministry officials and
with Sjamsuridjal himself.

Sjamsuridjal, who refrained from commenting during the press
conference, said earlier that the hospital management had asked
the families of a number of AIDS patients to move them elsewhere,
in addition to barring him from treating them and other patients
at Medistra.

He had also said that the management failed to give him an
adequate response, which prompted him to go public with the
issue.

Yesterday's meeting and the subsequent press conference was
chaired by the Ministry's Director General of Medical Services,
Suyoga, who said the Ministry had issued a warning to Medistra.

"Our information that Medistra had recommended patients to
move elsewhere was enough for us to issue the warning," Suyoga
said. "According to the national strategy on AIDS, hospitals must
take in all patients and treat them without exception."

Despite the management's position, he noted that the hospital
allowed its doctors to continue treating AIDS patients and that
none were referred to another hospital.

A public relations officer at the hospital said earlier that
all patients with AIDS had returned of their own will, after
"good treatment" at the hospital.

Tilaar explained that the friction with Sjamsuridjal resulted
from "differences in opinion" on the question of treating AIDS
patients with the management preferring to refer them to other
hospitals chiefly because they were more equipped to deal with
AIDS problems.

The Medistra representative in charge of medical services, M.
Suyaka, said one reason that the families had been requested to
move their patients was the hospital's priority policy.

"If a patient has stayed long enough at the hospital and his
doctors feel that he could be treated at home or at another
hospital, then he should make way for other patients," Suyaka
said.

She confirmed that some patients were asked to move because
beds were full.

"We have had to reject cardiovascular patients and others
which need immediate surgery," said Suyaka.

In response to whether Medistra might have lacked
information, which may have led to the charges of discrimination,
Tilaar said, "we may not have made the appropriate response."

"Maybe we have not gathered all the necessary information and
rules on AIDS," Tilaar said, adding that the management has
agreed to improve its ability to receive and treat AIDS patients.

Suyoga said the Ministry of Health has published AIDS
guidelines for all hospitals. Hospital managements should also
have copies of the ministerial ruling on the national AIDS
strategy.

The head of the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Health, Hadi
Santoso, has proposed training programs for hospital staff and
management on handling AIDS patients, which they hope will
prevent a similar conflict in the future.

The training will be assisted by the Association of Jakarta
Hospitals, which is a member of the Indonesian Hospital
Association. (anr)