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More health clinics found providing abortions
Questions are being raised over just how many medical clinics in the city are performing illicit abortions, after police uncovered a second such clinic this year
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Questions are being raised over just how many medical clinics in the city are performing illicit abortions, after police uncovered a second such clinic this year.
The most recent finding was a clinic on Jl. Percetakan Negara II in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, raided last week by the police.
The clinic, owned by Sriatun, was a medical clinic under the practice license of a practitioner named Abdullah, who fled when the police raided the house.
Police began investigating the clinic following tip-offs from local residents. Before the raid, Johar Baru Police chief Comr. Theresia Mastail visited the scene disguised as a patient seeking an abortion.
The sting operation managed to net Sriatun and her accomplices. At least nine people have been declared suspects, including Sriatun, practitioner Agung Utomo, two administrative employees and three alleged patients.
Police also uncovered at least six decaying fetuses in the clinic’s septic tank, and are looking for further evidence in two neighboring houses allegedly used for burying aborted fetuses. The number of such fetuses could reach in the thousands, with the clinic in practice for the past 10 years, police said.
The Johar Baru clinic is allegedly part of an illegal abortion syndicate in Jakarta, with investigators linking it to another abortion clinic in Taman Sari, West Jakarta.
In January, police also uncovered similar practices at a clinic in Warakas in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, and arrested a doctor, nurse and patient. This clinic was also licensed as a medical clinic.
The discovery was also based on information from residents. Following the reports, police tailed a woman who had just come out of the clinic to have an abortion.
With many other health clinics likely committing illegal abortions, city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zulkarnain Adinegara urged all residents to come forward with information to help clamp down on the practice.
“We can’t just act haphazardly if there are no tip-offs from residents. We can only raid a clinic after preliminary investigations based on the information.
“We need to verify first whether the information is valid. Besides, we always act in line with the ethics of our profession and we respect the ethics of doctor as well,” he said, adding such cases were not as easy to reveal as street crimes or thuggery.
Commenting on physicians misusing their authority to practice illegal abortions, Indonesian Doctors’ Association (IDI) secretary-general Zaenal Abidin said the organization would leave it to due process of law.
“Since this is a criminal case, we will leave it to the legal process, in line with prevailing regulations,” he told The Jakarta Post.
“As a physicians’ group, the IDI will impose administrative sanctions on perpetrators by revoking their practice licenses if they are proven guilty of committing the illegal abortions, after discussions with the disciplinary council.”
Doctors must request licenses from the health agency where they run their practices. The agency then issues the license upon recommendation by the IDI.
Zaenal said these cases should be a lesson for other doctors not to overstep their authority.
