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