Medical schools should reorient, update programs
Medical schools should reorient, update programs
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian medical schools should change their
orientation from public service to high technology in line with
the new global trend, according to Dr. Merdias Almatsier.
Almatsier, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Medical
Association, told a seminar over the weekend that Indonesian
medical schools are still preparing graduates to work in public
health centers, while the global trend is technology-oriented.
"The consequence of globalization is the advent of more
sophisticated medical equipment," he told a two-day seminar here
on health care, which began yesterday.
Almatsier said that Indonesia "should anticipate this trend --
otherwise there will always be new reasons for foreign doctors to
come here to handle the modern equipment," he said. The seminar
was sponsored by the Indonesian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Association.
Starting this year, the state-run University of Indonesia has
anticipated the global trend by changing its medical school's
curriculum, Almatsier said.
"This measure should be followed by other universities," he
added.
Similar arguments about the need to alter medical education in
Indonesia were put forward by Professor Iwan Darmansjah of the
University of Indonesia's medical school and Ascobat Gani, Dean
of the university's School of Public Health.
Iwan said Indonesian doctors tend to rely on "defensive
therapy"; giving their patients many medicines without
considering the impact on their bodies.
"It may cure one illness but may harm other parts of the body
which are not immune to the medicines prescribed," he said.
Iwan said the approach caused many Indonesians to go abroad
for medical treatment.
"Indonesian doctors should abandon this kind of treatment and
start to use the medicine which is as effective as possible. This
is called rationality therapy, and is popular abroad" Iwan said.
Meanwhile, Ascobat said improvements in medical education are
badly needed, especially in relation to health insurance.
"We have no school programs on health insurance, while the
market is so big," Ascobat said.
Indonesia's 196 million people, of whom 14 million are health
insurance customers, constitutes the second-largest in the world,
after India, he added.
"Such a huge market will be enjoyed only by foreign insurance
companies, since we are not able to provide personnel," Ascobat
said.
He said that the state-owned insurance company ASTEK is still
hesitant about entering the health insurance business because it
lacks staff with the relevant training. (01)