World's top doctors meet in Bali

World's top doctors meet in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): Some 600 doctors from 60 countries are currently
meeting in Bali to discuss ways of enhancing their profession.

Vice President Try Sutrisno addressed the participants of the
47th World Medical Assembly held at the Nusa Dua resort
yesterday, Antara reported.

Azrul Azwar, the chairman of the Indonesian Medical
Association who heads the assembly's organizing committee, said
the five-day conference which opened on Monday would discuss
issues related to medical services, including doctor-patient
relations and the rights of doctors and patients.

He highlighted two particular topics: one about the right of
patients to choose medical services and another about the rights
and obligations of doctors in times of war.

World Medical Association chairman Kincaid Smith of Australia
said he was particularly concerned at the impact of political
conflict on people's health and hoped that the congress would
find ways of remedying this.

"All these will be discussed in the congress here in Bali and
the resolutions will be used as guidelines for doctors all over
the world," Azrul said.

Try Sutrisno in his address to the congress underlined the
need for doctors to help find ways of cutting the exorbitant
costs of medical services to make their services more accessible
to the poor. (emb)