Prita Mulyasari, who has been detained for defamation allegations after complaining over the Internet about receiving allegedly substandard hospital treatment, will stand trial at the Tangerang District Court on Thursday.
In a September 2008 civil lawsuit, the court ordered her to pay Rp 50 million (US$4,761) of the Rp 400 million compensation demanded by the hospital, as well as make a public apology in two printed media.
Prita has spent three weeks at Tangerang Women's Penitentiary after being accused of defamation by Omni International Hospital in Serpong, Tangerang. She was separated from her two children, Khairan Ananta, 3, and Ranariya, 15 months old, and therefore unable to breast-feed the latter.
Your comments:
The whole episode has badly backfired on this institution, an institution that should have been looking after people's health, a job which it obviously does poorly! This will show in their income and may result in bankruptcy in the near future. Nobody should go near that place to seek medical attention even if it is free of charge!
Jose Dinoys
Imagine if it had happened to a man on the street who had no access to the media? It would be worse.
Dede Herland
People should be careful when choosing a hospital for treatment. I am not sure I would want to be treated in a hospital that has pursued this woman with such vengeance, whatever the legality of its claim against her.
Izzuddin
More proof that this country is neither free nor democratic. It is still like it was under the New Order (Orde Baru) where the rich like Omni run the show.
Budiman
This is a nightmarish situation indeed. And it makes us, ordinary Indonesians who have no access to enormous wealth or vast political clout, seriously wonder what legal rights we have left.
Apparently not satisfied with winning the civil lawsuit against Prita Mulyasari, in which, among others, the court ordered her to pay Rp 50 million ($4,761) of the Rp 400 million compensation demanded by the Omni hospital, Omni also charged her with defamation.
It seems that the Tangerang prosecutors who charged Prita for violating Article 27 of the Electronic Information Transaction Law and Articles 310 and 311 of the Criminal Code have deliberately avoided taking all the other (mostly humane) aspects of the case into consideration and succumbed only to Omni's demands.
They, as well as the (human?) management of the Omni Hospital, would do well to learn that the universal law of karma applies to all souls - and, therefore, also to them.
So Prita Mulyasari asked for a copy of her initial medical records but Omni hospital management refused to give them to her? And went after her, hammer and tongs, with lawsuits, after she dared to complain? If the management of Omni International Hospital Alam Sutera in Tangerang believes this is the best way to get publicity and lure the sick to enter its halls, it should think again!
Tami
How can someone complain about any business when they do not provide the services they promise without the risk of going to jail, as is the case with this poor woman?
If I was in a situation where I did not get the service I was paying for, I would complain as it is my right to do so, as it is anyone's.
How can this country put someone in jail for being given poor service? Must one accept poor service with a smile as I am getting ripped off? Come on, Indonesia, please get your act together ... stop treating people like idiots.
Elvis
Surely we are entitled to see our medical records? Luckily, anyone needing the services of a good hospital in the Serpong/Karawaci area can find several alternatives to Omni.
Andrew
