The need for legal protection will increase alongside the use of telemedicine itself. Should there be cases of ethics (violation), malpractice, fraud, moral hazard, and the likes, either from the patient's or the doctor's side, we are ready to handle
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Presidential Staff Office highlighted the government's efforts to create a legal basis for telemedicine platform users.

Deputy II of the Presidential Staff Office, Abetnego Tarigan, stated that his administration was ready to back up the Health Ministry and other ministries and agencies following the needs of regulation for telemedicine services and ensuring that there is no detrimental stipulation.

“The need for legal protection will increase alongside the use of telemedicine itself. Should there be cases of ethics (violation), malpractice, fraud, moral hazard, and the likes, either from the patient's or the doctor's side, we are ready to handle it. This is still the government's (task) to learn in-depth about problems that are likely to occur," he noted through a press release here on Monday.

Tarigan stated that President Joko Widodo had paid significant attention to the development of telemedicine, which is an important pivot in health services, especially related to COVID-19.

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“The government will prepare smart regulations to keep up with the rapid developments in technology and innovation. Health services through telemedicine are basically internet-based, (so it must) have good regulations. Hence, it must be assisted by the availability of adequate basic infrastructure," he expounded.

Tarigan highlighted that the implementation of telemedicine was stipulated in Health Minister's Regulation No. 20 of 2019 and Kepmenkes 01.07 of 2021. The Presidential Staff Office believes loopholes still existed in regulations that should be addressed to ensure that telemedicine services could operate optimally.

Some of these loopholes include the guarantee of private data protection, confidentiality of medical records that are integrated between health facilities, and legal protection, especially for medical personnel that provide services.

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The representative of the Directorate General of Health Services at the Health Ministry, Rico Mardiansyah, reiterated the importance of regulations related to telemedicine during a webinar with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) hosted on Saturday, February 12.

He also drew attention to the need for the policies to be made complementary to one another at the earliest in order to fill the current legal vacuum.

“Legal protection and legal clarity for health workers should be encouraged, so that the best health services for people all across Indonesia can be provided. The law itself must be dynamic in responding to the modernization of health services,” he concluded.


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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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