GOVT WITHDRAWS ANESTHETIC DRUG AFTER TWO PATIENTS' DEATH IN SILOAM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 20 (Antara) - The death last week of two patients after being administered Bunavest Spinal in Siloam Hospital in Tangerang, Banten, prompted the government to order the withdrawal of the anesthetic drug from all pharmaceutical industry traders.          "We ordered the recall of four kinds of anesthetics from all pharmaceutical industry traders across the country," Health Minister Nila F Moeloek said on Friday.          The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency BPOM has also suspended since Tuesday the distribution permit of Buvanest Spinal, the anesthetic produced by Kalbe Farma following the death of the two patients.          According to corporate communications general manager of Siloam, Heppi Nurfianto, the two patients were injected with Buvanest Spinal before undergoing a caesarian section and urology surgeries on Feb. 11.  They were taken to the ICU for treatment but died the next day.          "We are awaiting results of the investigation first. We have made sure that we had done [the surgery] based on procedures," Heppi was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying on Wednesday.          Health Minister Nila F Moeloek said her ministry was still investigating the death of the two patients.

LEGAL EXPERT SEES NO MALPRACTICE IN DOCTOR AYU'S CASE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 28 (Antara) - Thousands of members of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) held rallies across the country on Wednesday to protest against the court sentencing three doctors to ten months of imprisonment for an alleged malpractice.         The Medical Practitioners' Association and a legal expert from the Denpasar-based Udayana University, Made Suwardana, believe Dr Dewa Ayu Sasiary Prawani and his colleagues Hendry Simanjuntak and Hendi Siagian had not committed any malpractice in conducting an emergency Caesarean section on a patient, Siska Makatey (26), at Kandouw Hospital in Manado, North Sulawesi. Makatey later died.          "Dr Ayu has followed the medical standard operational procedures (SOP)," IDI Chairman Dr Zaenal Abidin was quoted as saying by detikhealth online media last week.          Before deciding to perform the surgery, Dr Ayu had asked the hospital leadership and the patient's family for approval, he pointed out.          "Moreover, the designated doctor need not always wait beside the patient, observing her labor, but must swing into action if the fetus suddenly faces an emergency situation. This is already in accordance with the standing procedures," Dr Zaenal remarked.          Suwardana expressed the same opinion. He too opined that there was no malpractice in conducting the Caesarean section.          "Dr Ayu performed the surgery based on the standard emergency procedures of the hospital," Suwardana informed participants of a forum on Rejecting the Criminalization of Medical Doctors' Profession in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday.          Makatey died after undergoing a Caesarean section, according to the Indonesian Obstetrics and Gynecology Association data.