RI hospitals short of radiologists

RI hospitals short of radiologists

DENPASAR, Bali: Indonesia has only 600 radiologists, who are
in only half the 1,500 state hospitals in the country, an expert
has revealed.

The number is almost half the ideal requirement, which means
that each specialist served 200,000 people, the head of the
Indonesian Radiologists Association, Cholid Badri, told Antara
here on Thursday.

In comparison, Thailand, with its population of 60 million,
also has 600 radiologists.

Cholid said the fact that most radiologists in the country
work in Java was another of the association's concerns.

"Radiologists are sorely needed to check a patient's medical
condition, particularly their lungs, bones, liver and brain, when
an accident happens, so that a quick and proper diagnosis and
treatment can be done," Cholid said on the sidelines of a three-
day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) radiologist
congress, which opened on Thursday.

He said with the cooperation of radiology associations in the
member countries of ASEAN, Indonesia could cope with the growing
demand for radiology services. -- Antara

Teachers' welfare tops govt's priorities

JAKARTA: Improving teachers' welfare will top the Ministry of
National Education's list of priorities for the 2003 fiscal year,
the minister said on Thursday.

Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fajar told a
hearing with the House of Representatives that the government had
allocated funds to provide subsidies for 37,929 teachers in
private elementary schools and 53,281 part-timers in state-run
schools.

The subsidies will also be given to 17,344 supervisors of
elementary schools.

The government has planned to recruit 190,000 more teachers on
a non-permanent basis to cover the shortage of professionals in
elementary schools.

For secondary education, the ministry has arranged a program
to develop teachers' management skills, including by providing a
quality management operational fund for 1,020 schools.

The state draft budget has allocated Rp 16.9 trillion for
education, of which Rp 5 trillion has been reserved for routine
spending.

The government hopes to continue the nine-year compulsory
education program, which is expected to be accomplished by 2008.
-- Antara

Agus mulls lawsuit against U.S.

JAKARTA: An Indonesian national who was deported from the
United States after he was proven innocent of involvement in the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is considering filing a lawsuit
against the country for being arrested on spurious charges.

Agus Budiman, through his lawyer Wirawan Adnan, said he would
demand his good name be restored and compensation for the arrest,
which proved to be wrong. The 31-year-old Indonesian was detained
for nine months before his deportation in mid-August.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Agus met with House of
Representatives Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa and legislators Ahmad
Sumargono and Hamdan Zoelva to seek the support of the
legislative body.

Wirawan said the U.S. government had violated Agus' human
rights by arresting him.

Agus said he also went to the House to complain about
Indonesian diplomats' inaction to defend him and other Indonesian
nationals facing legal problems overseas.

"The government should have been the institution where I can
seek protection," Agus said. -- Antara