Sight, hearing required for future presidents
JAKARTA (JP): Doctors here have suggested that a complete command of one's physical senses, which includes sight and hearing, along with other developed mental functions, be a mandatory requirement for future presidents.
During a discussion held by the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) here on Monday, doctors stressed that the intact functions of these senses were a crucial part of a person's reasoning and cognitive process.
Neurologist Samino pointed out that a sightless person can hardly make a credible decision as the brain tends to make a person become more dependent on his or her imagination.
"A study found that hearing only contributes about 14 percent to the thinking process. A human being's cognitive and thinking processes depend more on the sense of sight," he said without elaborating further.
The discussion was held as part of several brainstorming sessions to gather input on the drafting of medical requirements which are to be included in a presidential health bill expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives within the next three weeks.
Among the most debated topics was trying to define and formulate from several medical aspects -- physical, psychological, neurological and mental functions -- the minimum health requirements needed by the state's top executive.
The head of the bill's drafting team, Cholid Badri, said the introduction of such a law was needed as there was no regulation specifying that a person occupying the highest office in the country is medically required to be of sound mind and body.
Cholid said that the bill would also propose that future presidents and vice presidents would be monitored by two medical teams -- advising doctors and attending doctors -- who would collaborate in assessing and monitoring their health.
Internist Mardi Santoso said that presidents and vice presidents must not have a history of chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure combined with heart, kidney or brain complications, any kind of cancer or HIV/AIDS.
"Such illnesses would damage the president/vice president's performance, except if their illnesses were curable or could at least be controlled," he said.
Psychiatrist G. Pandu Setiawan suggested that presidential and vice presidential candidates first be subjected to an in-depth interview with health practitioners in their respective fields to find out whether they suffer from or are prone to a mental disorder.
"Such interviews should also be made periodically due to the stressful job they bear," he said, adding that the results would also be made public.
During an earlier discussion, the chairman of the Association of Indonesian Psychologists, Rahmat Ismail, also presented similar requirements in a nine-point checklist of sound mental health, such as the ability to communicate orally and in writing.
"This condition requires a certain level of physical health. If the candidate suffers certain handicaps which make him or her unable to communicate then it automatically lessens the evaluation during the whole examination," he explained.
Broto Wasisto from the Ministry of Health, however, warned on Monday that such criteria should not be rigidly applied and open to wavering factors which may still allow a candidacy despite the presence of certain handicaps or physical disabilities.(bby)