Nurses' permit

With the development and advancement of sciences and the improvement of public education, it is deemed necessary that every profession has an organization to protect the interests of its members.

Nurses, for instance, whose profession is to render service to the people in the field of health, should have legal protection in carrying out their job. So, through the parent organization -- the Association of Indonesian National Nurses (PPNI) -- nurses (of all levels) obtain a professional working permit (SIP) which is issued by the provincial health service.

In this context I would like to raise few remarks as follows. * Why is it that the alumni of the Anesthesiology Academy are not included in the category of nurses? In fact, according to the decree of the Association of Indonesian Anesthesiologists, they are also members of PPNI. * In the guide book for anesthesiologists published by the health ministry in 1997, it is stated that the alumni of the Academy are categorized as anesthetic nurses. * However, I was informed that the nurse permit cannot be issued to anesthetic alumni. In order to obtain a permit we (the alumni) are required to submit a certificate obtained from Nursing School and our anesthetic diplomas were returned to us.

I graduated from the Anesthesiology Academy in Jakarta in 1986, and am a holder of the certificate of the academy.

I appreciate clarification on this matter from the authorities concerned.

I WAYAN DJESNA Singaraja, Bali