Physical health vital

Physical health vital

From Republika

According to Mrs. Sri Hardani Amir Machmud, wife of former chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly the late Amir Machmud, Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, does not meet the requirement of being physically healthy, which is set for a presidential candidate (Surya, Oct. 9, 1999).

Indeed, a presidential candidate or a vice presidential candidate must be of good health in view of the workload involved for a head or deputy head of state and government. To determine the health status of presidential/vice presidential candidates, it is necessary that the persons concerned have a general medical check up, which would be carried out by a medical team specially set up for this purpose and made up of specialists, including a mental health specialist.

The result of this check up would be in the form of only a recommendation saying whether the person concerned is qualified or unqualified and that this would be handed over to the leadership of the People's Consultative Assembly. As for the medical record, this should be given only to the persons concerned in view of its confidential nature.

According to WHO, health is a condition of full happiness, encompassing physical, social and mental aspects, and is not concerned with merely the absence of illnesses or weaknesses. In my opinion, weaknesses in this respect may be physical disability, either a congenital disability or a disability resulting from a diseases one has been afflicted with.

Pursuant to Law No. 23/1992 on health, health is a condition of physical, mental and social prosperity, which enables someone to lead a socially and economically productive life.

MOCH. MOCHTAR

Surabaya