RI physicians lack academic culture
Leo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The hope of seeing an Indonesian physician win the prestigious Nobel prize remains a far-fetched dream, mainly because Indonesian physicians are not accustomed to research.
A professor lamented on Tuesday the lack of scientific research conducted by Indonesian physicians, which he said reflected the absence of an academic culture among them.
"The caliber of scientists can be measured by the number of papers that they have publicized. In this field, physicians here are lagging far behind their counterparts in other countries," said A.A. Loedin, a former specialist with the Ministry of Health.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Medika Award 2000 presentation for winners of a scientific writing contest organized by a medical journal. Loedin was a member of the jury that judged the competition.
He said that this phenomenon was the norm among the country's academics, who were reluctant to read and, at worst, were unaware of how to access information and knowledge.
He said the patriarchal culture prevailing in the country had contributed to the lack of initiative and creativity among Indonesian scholars.
But he was quick to add that this cultural disadvantage could not be used to provide an excuse for physicians to avoid experimentation and in-depth research.
As if to confirm his argument, none of 70 scientific papers submitted to the Medika Award organizing committee were adjudged eligible for the top two prizes.
The organizers received 31 articles, 36 referral reviews and three field reports on health.
Kartono Mohamad, one of the journal's editors, refused to comment on the jury's decision, but admitted that the standard of the writing contest needed improvement.
"There are some Indonesian medical doctors, albeit a few, who have contributed their scientific writings to international publications," Kartono said.
Loedin suggested that older medical doctors act as role models for younger doctors in pursuing more scientific studies.