Police to close unregistered clinics

JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Police will close down nine unregistered maternity clinics operating illegally in the area, an officer said on Tuesday.

Police detectives chief Capt. Agus Irianto told reporters that the nine clinics were under the management of Herida Simamora who is also a midwife at the clinic. The clinic is located on Jl. Flamboyan in Duren Sawit district.

Agus said he had received reports on Monday from Edwin Rauf, head of the East Jakarta office of the Health Ministry that the nine clinics had no licenses and that Herida had not renewed her license, which was last issued on Sept. 25, 1990.

"Herida had failed to renew her license every five years and to register the nine Ananda maternity clinics with the East Jakarta office of the Health Ministry," he said.

Erwin stated that his office had repeatedly asked Herida to complete the process for the license, going as far back as July 27, 1998.

"Instead of complying with the requirements, she ignored the warnings," he said, adding that Herida had violated Law No. 23/1992 on Health.

Agus said local health centers had received complaints from residents in the locations where the maternity clinics were operating. They said that young women were either dying or becoming more ill after receiving treatment at each of the nine clinics.

"Our data shows that two women died after being treated at a clinic on Jl. Flamboyan," he said, while identifying the victims as 26-year-old Herlina and 19-year-old Muniroh, both were residents of Cakung Barat subdistrict.

"We suspect inappropriate treatment was given to both victims," he added.

Agus speculated that the maternity clinics were in poor condition and were not properly equipped.

"We will question Herida and continue our investigation and find out whether she was ever implicated in malpractice cases in the past," Agus said. (06)