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)