No excuse for malpractice
Hospitals and doctors guilty of malpractice must be answerable to their patients, head of the Indonesian Police Force Physicians and Health Board, Brig. Gen. Hendro Satmoko, said here yesterday.
Speaking at the 28th anniversary of the Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta, Hendro said, "even though most cases of malpractice occur by accident, the hospital or doctor in charge should still be held accountable."
He explained that in this era of globalization, the doctor- patient relationship is no longer paternalistic, where curative measures are at the complete discretion of the doctor.
People are now more consciousness towards health matters and demand better care from hospitals, he asserted.
Hendro further added that the police hospital must prepare itself to deal with the various new forms of infractions brought as a result of technological developments and globalization.
At the celebration, Hendro awarded the Narraya medal to five medical officers for their 24 years of service. (mds)
No arrests during badminton matches
Police made no arrests during the recently completed 12-day world men's and women's badminton championships, surprising considering the unruly displays of behavior at Saturday's Thomas Cup final.
Overzealous supporters of the Indonesian team got carried away with themselves and threw plastic bottles at the Malaysian players and officials in the closing minutes of the third match.
"Thank God nobody was arrested," City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar told reporters yesterday.
"We couldn't identify the people who threw the bottles amid such mayhem," Latief quoted Col. Muhantojo, an official assigned to maintain security at the event, as saying.
A total of 400 city police officers and military personnel were assigned to lend a semblance of law and order at badminton's most prestigious team competition.
The organizers estimated that over 12,000 spectators were on hand for Saturday's match, well over the 9,500 seat capacity. (bsr)
Girl missing for two months
A 14-year-old girl from a remote village in Demak, Central Java, has been reported missing here for nearly two months.
Jumiaty, who has black straight hair, reportedly arrived at the Pulo Gadung bus terminal in East Jakarta at around 4 p.m. on March 26. She was supposed to go to her relative's house in Bogor, but never got there.
"She was wearing a red T-shirt and dark-colored trousers," Sumeri, a relative of the girl, said here yesterday.
He quoted several witnesses at the terminal as saying that they saw such a girl riding an ojek (motorcycle taxi) during the evening. However, that was the extent of their information.
Sumeri said that Jumiaty's parents in Demak had told him that she was planning to work as a housemaid here.
He urged anyone who might have seen Jumiaty to report to the police or to him personally at the Police Mobile Brigade housing complex in Kelapa Dua, Cimanggis, Bogor.
According to Sumeri, Jumiaty had visited his house once before.
"She probably forgot the way here," he said. (bsr)