Poor health service alarming: Activists
Poor health service alarming: Activists
JAKARTA (JP): Consumer and health activists raised alarm
yesterday over what they saw as the tendency of hospitals,
drugstores and practitioners to rake in profits at the cost of
public service.
They said during a workshop that health institutions often
neglected their social and humanitarian duties for the sake of
making money.
"We understand that they have every right to gain profit, but
they should not put people's lives in danger," said Zoemrotin KS,
a senior activist of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI).
Citing an example, she said that the foundation knew of
medical personnel and drugstores that changed the expiry dates of
medicines.
The four-day workshop titled Women's Health and Consumers'
Protection which opened on Monday, is organized by YLKI. It is
being attended by participants from 15 provinces.
According to Zoemrotin, doctors and hospitals are so money-
oriented that they favor the rich over the poor when providing
services.
"Offering luxurious rooms or entertainment facilities is okay.
But if poor people receive different medical treatment from the
rich, it's not," Zoemrotin said.
One of the participants, Hanartani, said that many doctors do
not examine their patients. They simply hear the patients'
complaints and then scribble prescriptions.
"Then at home, the patient is confused because he does not
understand what is prescribed for him," she said.
Prominent doctor Kartono Mohamad criticized doctors who
prescribe drugs without carefully examining their patients'
condition.
"It amazes me to learn that such practice is widespread," said
Kartono, a former chief of the Indonesian Medical Association.
Many practitioners, he said, work unusually long hours -- from
7 p.m. until 2 a.m. -- for apparent financial considerations.
There are also doctors who examine up to four patients at the
same time, he said.
"How can such doctors provide good medical treatment?" Kartono
asked. "Some doctors do it because they have more patients than
they can handle."
Besides doctors, patients should also be blamed for this
condition, he said.
"Many people like to consult popular or expensive doctors
instead of good doctors," Kartono said.
For example, he said, many people are reluctant to consult
doctors who prescribe generic medicine, even though both the
medicine and the doctors are good.
He urged YLKI and other consumer advocate agencies to inform
the people about their rights concerning medical treatment.
He added that people should also file lawsuits against doctors
who violate their professional code of ethics.
"At the moment, many people who become the victims of
malpractice are reluctant to file lawsuits. They usually choose
compensation," Kartono said.
He admitted, however, it is not easy to file a lawsuit against
a doctor. "Even lawyers are usually satisfied with compensation,"
he said. (31)