Mistreated patient in stable condition after surgery

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sumaryono, a patient with a part of his intestinal tract exposed through an incision to his abdomen due to apparent malpractice, has undergone surgery by a team of five doctors at St. Carolus Hospital, Central Jakarta.

He was in stable condition as of Friday afternoon and under continual monitoring from the doctors at the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The hospital's spokeswoman, Endang Soeryatno, told The Jakarta Post: "He is in a good condition after undergoing a five-hour surgical operation on Wednesday."

The surgery was performed to remove tumors on internal organs and to "fix all the mess" around the incision from the earlier surgery.

"After the surgery, we expect a complete recovery," Endang said, while adding that they had to wait 10 days before they could start operating.

Endang said the patient was malnourished and nearly anemic after being admitted on Oct. 14.

"During that period, we had to give him nutritious food as well as a blood transfusion so the doctors could perform the surgery," she said.

Sumaryono might be discharged from the hospital within the next 10 days if there are no complications.

"After that he still has to receive outpatient care from the hospital to ensure his wound is fully recovered," she said.

Owing to financial constraints, Sumaryono had to suffer with the botched operation and serious pain for five months after surgery was performed at the Jakarta administration-run Tarakan Hospital in Central Jakarta.

Initially, he intended to get medication for an appendix problem but doctors found a tumor and later performed surgery on him. However, the doctors did not adequately stitch up the incision and later discharged Sumaryono without any medication nor follow-up treatment because his mother could not pay the Rp 2.8 million (US$330) medical bill.

Later, the same doctor referred him to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM), also in Central Jakarta, for follow-up treatment but the hospital refused to admit him.

The Legal Aid Institute for Health (LBH Kesehatan), which represented Sumaryono, has sent a complaint to both hospitals and prepared malpractice lawsuits.

Even with the successful surgery, there is no guarantee that the tumor will not grow again.

"He is not 100 percent free from the tumor which has already spread in his other internal organs although it is not as severe as before. Should that happen, he must have more surgery," Endang said.

She hoped that the administration would provide a health fund for Sumaryono.

His medical bill has been covered by individual donors who heard about his tragic story on the city police radio Suara Metro 91.1 Emergency Assistance and so responded.

The administration has allocated Rp 74.45 billion (US$8.83 million) for health service fund for 83,364 poor families in the city this year alone. However, the fund has only been disbursed for a total of Rp 25.5 billion for poor families, registered or not registered at subdistrict offices, and four city-run hospitals.