TANGERANG ~

Results of the investigation into the death of two patients at Siloam Hospital after being administered anesthetic will be announced this week, Health Minister Nila Farid Moeloek said.

“I have received reports from the teams of the Health Ministry (Kemenkes) and of the Drug and Food Monitoring Agency (BPOM) which were fielded yesterday. We have begun to discuss it today and will this week reveal the results,” the minister said here on Wednesday.

She said that the data collected by the two teams would be incorporated. There were several matters that needed to be studied.

The minister said that her ministry will take firm actions against those found guilty and give sanctions to them in accordance with the extent of their mistakes.

“We will look at the results of the investigation and give sanctions based on data and facts,” she said.

The minister said last Friday that her ministry was investigating the death of two patients following anesthesia administration at Siloam Hospital in Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten.

“The lawmakers of Commission IX on health affairs of the House of Representatives visited the hospital today. The Drug and Food Supervisory Agency has also sent a team to investigate the incident,” the minister stated.

She noted the teams conducted a comprehensive investigation, which looked into the standard operating procedures followed by doctors involved, anesthetic used, mistake indications, and assessment of the victims’ medical records.

According to initial reports, the Siloam medical team had injected 0.5 percent of Buvanest Spiral anesthetic into spinal column of both patients.

After being injected, the anesthetic did not have a favorable effect and the patients did not experience numbness. It, however, caused itchiness, convulsions, and finally resulted in their deaths.

The minister has said earlier that based on preliminary information and analysis, there was an error in the administration of the anesthetic. It should have been given in a 5-mg dose. However, that is just an assumption, the error is not proven yet.

If it is found that the hospital or PBF Kalbe Farma (the pharmaceutical company that produced the anesthetic) are at fault for the death, the health ministry will impose sanctions on them, the minister emphasized.

“We will take legal action against agencies that are found guilty. We will revoke their permits,” she added.

The minister said her office has also ordered the recall of four kinds of anesthetics from all over Indonesia.

According to corporate communications general manager of Siloam, Heppi Nurfianto, the two patients were injected with Buvanest Spinal before undergoing a caesarian section and urology surgeries on Feb. 11. They were taken to the ICU for treatment but died the next day.