IDI Asks For Substances Of The Health Bill To Be Opened Transparent Ahead Of Ratification In The DPR

DPR/DOK plenary room BETWEEN

Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB-IDI) Adib Khumaidi asked that the substance of the Health Bill (RUU) be opened transparently to the public ahead of the ratification process in the DPR plenary session.

"The draft that has emerged until now we do not know in the existing process, when yesterday starting at the Working Committee (Panja) of the DPR RI, even until now there has been no disclosure of the substance of the Health Bill," said Adib Khumaidi as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 22.

A total of seven of the nine factions in Commission IX of the DPR in the Level I Meeting on Decision Making agreed to bring the draft of the Health Bill to the Level II advanced stage in the form of a plenary meeting.

Adib said the Health Bill is a regulation for the health interests of the Indonesian people as well as the interests of the nation's resilience and independence.

"So that the legal substance in the procedure for making laws and regulations as well as the substance of content in the contents of the law must reflect the values in Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution," said Adib.

"We see that in a process of making regulations on the Mawini Healthomnibus Bill, the process is still unprocedural," he said.

Adib said that the silence of stakeholders related to the substance of the Health Bill actually drew various questions from the public.

"Regarding something that of course needs to be asked, why is talking about the interests of people's health being carried out behind closed doors?", he said.

It is hoped that Adib's openness to public information can open space in the community to oversee the regulation-making process. "We will remain consistent, in substance the legal procedures in the material regulations in the Health Bill do not reflect the interests of the people," he said.

Separately, Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives Saleh Daulay said the plenary schedule for the Health Bill was still waiting for the Deliberative Body (Bamus) meeting led by the DPR.

"The one who has scheduled this is the leadership of the DPR. Until now, there has been no invitation for Bamus regarding this matter. The draft bill is at the DPR secretariat," he said.

Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the discourse on the emergence of the Health Bill had been widely discussed since the end of 2022. However, many parties consider the process of drafting the bill to be rushed and minimal involvement of civil society.

Responding to public records and criticisms, the Ministry of Health held a public hearing and socialization on March 13-31, 2023, involving groups of professional organizations, civil society, and other related groups.

Budi emphasized that the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR has also been working on a draft of the Health Bill since the end of last year by inviting all stakeholders, including professional organizations.

"If someone is not satisfied, his wish does not come in, I think it is natural in a democratic realm, not all governments want to be 100 percent accepted," he said.