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ome patients are facing the fact their health may deteriorate further after being admitted to hospital.

Alfonsus Budi Susanto, a businessman, is one example who became paralyzed after undergoing an acrylic injection to his spinal column at Siloam Hospital in Karawaci, Banten.

Susanto consulted a neurologist at Siloam Hospital in 2008 due of back pain. After several examinations, the doctor suggested a ce-ment injection treatment to his spinal column.

“After the injection I could not move my feet and realized that the doctor who handled the surgery process was not doctor Eka Julianta, the one I consulted with for months before surgery,” Susanto said.

The injection apparently missed the target and leaked into other parts of his spine.

Susanto’s lawyer, Bambang Widjojanto, filed an appeal to the Jakarta High Court on July 16 after the North Jakarta District Court on March 11 rejected his civil lawsuit against the hospital and the doctors involved in Susanto’s treatment.

He demanded the hospital pay more than Rp 211 billion (US$21.3 million) for material and immaterial losses.

Bambang also reported the doctors to the Indonesian Medical Disciplinary Honorary Assembly (MKDKI). The assembly handed down a ruling on May 26 and canceled the doctors’ permits to run a medical practice for three months.

“Even though the punishment is not comparable with the consequences Pak Susanto has suffered, who can no longer undertake his professional activities as usual, I respect the MKDKI for making such a firm decision,” said Bambang.

However, even though the assembly announced its decision, Susanto had never received a copy of the decision, because according to the board there was an objection from the other party, thereby it remains an ongoing process.

Asked to comment on the case, Siloam Hospital’s legal representative, Nisban, said his client “would only follow the judicial procedure.”

Bambang said their lawsuit against the hospital was not only his client’s matter and there were many similar cases that could not be solved.

Public policy observer Agus Pambagio said so far the only health case that had been successful was Prita Mulyasari’s case. The others were not so lucky due to protection afforded to doctors.

Prita Mulyasari is a housewife and mother of two who was a patient at Omni International Hospital in Tangerang for an illness that was misdiagnosed as mumps.