Medistra denies turning away AIDS patients

Medistra denies turning away AIDS patients

JAKARTA (JP): The Medistra Hospital has denied charges that it
discriminates against people suffering from the Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), but is keeping tight-lipped over
claims that it has barred one of its medical interns from
treating such patients.

"We do not reject patients with AIDS," the hospital's
spokesperson R. Widiati said yesterday. "We have never put them
in isolated rooms. They are treated well here," she added.

However, she declined to comment on recent reports that the
hospital management has taken punitive action against a doctor
employed by the hospital, Sjamsuridjal Djauzi, for treating an
AIDS patient.

"But the director (Evie Tilaar) will report to the Ministry of
Health and other relevant bodies regarding doctor Sjamsuridjal in
a couple of days," Widiati told The Jakarta Post.

Last week, Sjamsuridjal said he had been informed by an
official of the hospital that he was no longer allowed to treat
AIDS patients.

Widiati said Medistra Hospital, located on Jl. Gatot Subroto,
South Jakarta, has treated a number of patients admitted with
AIDS.

"One of them returned home just a few months ago," she said.
"But at present, we have no patients with AIDS...They have all
returned to their families on their own volition."

Asked whether the hospital would readmit those patients if
they returned to the hospital for further treatment, Widiati
replied that she did not have details of what the hospital's
response would be to such a situation.

She added, however, that none of the AIDS patients previously
treated by the hospital had returned for further consultations or
treatment.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Indonesian Hospital
Association, Samsi Jacobalis, said that people infected with
HIV/AIDS should be treated at the hospitals which already have
appropriate equipment and trained personnel.

"Although the national strategy in the fight against AIDS
rules out discrimination, the fact is that not all hospitals are
really ready for that," he said.

"As soon as a person is diagnosed as having been infected with
HIV/AIDS, we suggest that he or she be referred to such
hospitals," Samsi said.

In Jakarta, hospitals which already have special equipment and
specially-trained medical personnel are the state-owned Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital and the privately-owned Julianti
Saroso Hospital for Infectious Diseases in North Jakarta.

Asked whether the association was considering punitive action
against the Medistra Hospital should it turn out to have
discriminated against AIDS sufferers, Samsi said that was a
question of ethics in relation to which there are, as yet, no
rules.

Widiati denied claims that the Medistra Hospital has no
equipment and trained personnel to treat AIDS patients.

"We have routine lectures on AIDS and HIV for both our medical
personnel and patients," she said.

The sessions help staff and patients understand how to handle
patients with HIV/AIDS, including the staff who change the
patients' bed sheets," she said.

The Indonesian Medical Association has made it clear in recent
days that it strongly opposes any discrimination against AIDS
patients on the part of hospitals.

After inaugurating a new medical rehabilitation center at
Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Minister of Health Sujudi said that
any AIDS patients who believe they have been discriminated
against may complain to his ministry.

The ministry has published guidelines for hospitals regarding
the handling of patients with HIV/AIDS, he added. (anr/01)