Legal Protection of Malpractice Victims
Image Source : https://img.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-flat-design-infertility- illustration_232149367794.jpg?w=740&t=st=1696496630~exp=1696497230~hmac=ba5a4eb ad88825f4c47aba58903245f7cf6bd775c460628baeae9ed7012539f1 From: A.M Oktarina Counsellors at Law Contributors: Pramudya Yudhatama, S.H., Putri Shaquila, S.H., Khaifa Muna Noer Uh’Dina, S.H., Raysha Alfira, S.H. Reviewer: Noverizky Tri Putra Pasaribu, S.H., L.L.M (Adv)., Ricki Rachmad Aulia Nasution, S.H. A. Background Health services are very important as something that is needed by humans. In Indonesia, there are many malpractice acts where it is carried out by unscrupulous health workers and hospitals as service providers that can cause the death of a patient who is a victim of malpractice. Some time ago, there was an incident of malpractice that happened to a 7-year-old child with a brain stem death diagnosed after undergoing tonsil surgery at a hospital in Bekasi city, the victim of the malpractice could not be saved and has been declared dead, with the occurrence of the malpractice event the victim’s family reported parties related to the alleged malpractice that occurred to the Police of Metro Jaya Regional (The news link is attached as follows). With malpractice acts committed by health workers and related hospitals, it is necessary to have legal protection for victims and sanctions that can be given to related parties, so what regulations regulate sanctions for these malpractice acts and what kind of legal protection can be provided to victims? Let’s look at it further. B. Legal Basis Criminal Code (“KUHP“) Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia Year 1945 2nd Amendment (“1945 Constitution“) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (“UDHR 1948“) Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection (“Law 8/1999“) Law Number 31 of 2014 concerning Amendments to Law Number 13 of 2006 concerning the Protection of Witnesses and Victims (“Law No.31/2014“) Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health (“Law 17/2023“) Health services are used to meet health needs by providing health facilities periodically to the community. Basically, humans have basic rights to obtain health facilities as mentioned in Article 25 of UDHR 1948, which states: “Every human being has the right to a level of living adequate for the health and well- being of himself or his family, including the right to food, clothing, housing, health care, necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, illness, disability, widowhood, old age or other circumstances resulting in deprivation of income in circumstances beyond his control“. With the existence of basic human rights that have been mentioned in the 1948 UDHR, in Indonesia there are also regulations that regulate the obligation of the state to give its people the right to get health which is seen as the basis for the application of Human Rights (“HAM“) which is contained in Article 28H of the 1945 Constitution after the 2nd amendment which states as follows: “Everyone has the right to live a prosperous life physically and mentally, to reside, and to get a good and healthy living environment and the right to health services“. With the non-fulfillment of the right to health obtained by the people from the state, the community will experience illness and cause their activities in earning a living and livelihood will be hampered. Based on Article 4 paragraph (1) of Law No. 17/2023 mentions the specific rights obtained by the community which states as follows: “Everyone has the right: live a healthy life physically, mentally, and socially; obtain information and education on balanced and responsible health; get safe, quality, and affordable Health Services in order to realize the highest degree of Health; obtain health care in accordance with health service standards; obtaining alses over Health Resources; determine for yourself the Health Services needed by himself independently and responsibly; obtain a healthy environment for the achievement of health degrees; accept or refuse some or all of the relief measures that will be given to him after receiving and understanding the complete information about such measures; obtain the confidentiality of his/her personal Health data and information; obtain information about his/her health data, including actions and treatments he has received or will receive from Medical Personnel and/or Health Personnel; and get protection from health “ Therefore, everyone has the right to get their rights along with health facilities as provided by the state. The definition of health itself has been explained in Article 1 number (1) of Law No. 17/2023 which states as follows: “Health is a person’s state of health, whether physically, mentally, or socially and not simply free from disease to enable him to live a productive life.” With the health rights that must be obtained by the community from health workers and hospitals who have obligations as stated in Article 5 number (1) of Law No. 17/2023 which states: “Everyone is obligated to: realize, maintain, and improve the highest possible public maintain and improve the degree of health for others for whom he is responsible; respect the rights of others in the pursuit of a healthy environment; adopt healthy living behaviors and respect the health rights of others; comply with outbreak or outbreak response activities; and follow the health insurance program in the national social security” Basically, if health workers and hospitals have been declared to take action against patients who are victims of malpractice. This needs to be a further concern. The victim himself according to Article 1 number (3) of Law No.31/2014, is defined as follows: “A victim is a person who experiences physical, mental, and/or economic loss resulting from a criminal act.” With the definition of the victim above, that with the publication of the alleged malpractice committed to the victim of malpractice, it is stated that it was not done based on the will of the victim and also the victim’s family, therefore the victim has the right to sue and get legal protection from actions that have lost the life. Victims of malpractice have the rights as mentioned in Article 5 paragraph (1) number (a) of Law