Many Doctors On The Island Of Java To Jakarta Demo Reject The Health Bill, PB IDI Pasting Emergency Services Continues

Doctors, midwives, and students on the island of Java to Jakarta demonstrated against the Health Bill on Monday 8 May. (Twitter @PBIDI)

Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB-IDI) Adib Khumaidi ensures that public health emergency services in all regions continue amid peaceful demonstrations against the Health Bill.

"We have planned this activity, so that services are maintained, especially those related to emergencies, ICUs, and scheduled operating rooms can still be carried out," said Adib Khumaidi while leading a peaceful demonstration against the Health Bill at the Ministry of Health Building, Kuningan, Jakarta, Monday, May 8 afternoon.

Adib said the wave of demonstrators from various areas on the island of Java and outside Java to Jakarta had been going on since Saturday 6 May. They come from the medical profession, midwives, to students.

Adib said doctors who joined the peaceful demonstration in Jakarta had obtained a departure permit from regional hospital leaders.

"We are carrying out this action for only one day on Monday [May 8]. It didn't take days and they have come since Saturday when they were on holiday at that time," he said.

PB IDI also established intensive coordination with branch organizations in the regions to monitor the development of public service situations.

"This is proof that we still care about health and maintain access to health for the community. We coordinate with the regional branches whether there are patients who are neglected or not, and we coordinate with the director of hospitals in the regions that we maintain service," he said.

According to Adib, the requirement for doctors to participate in peaceful demonstrations is a permit from the hospital leadership and other health care facilities taking into account the service situation.

Adib said that not all hospital leaders gave permission to participate in peaceful demonstrations to their employees.

"There are a number of directors who did not give permission. We have not identified them, I don't want to mention them before the data is available, but there have been several reports," he said.

The peaceful demonstration against the Health Bill was followed by the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), the Indonesian National Nurses Association (PPNI), the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI), the Indonesian Dental Association (PDGI), and the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI).

Peaceful action was held through speeches in a number of related ministry offices including the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Ham, the Presidential Staff Office, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) and the Ministry of Health.

The peaceful action highlighted the process of making hasty regulations and not paying attention to input from professional organizations that are field workers.

The input in question includes guaranteeing protection and legal certainty for nurses/nakes in the midst of a community situation that is increasingly critical of health services. Professional organizations also highlight the importance of better collaboration between various stakeholders in the health sector.