New ASEAN Society aims to strengthen medical law
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Muh Nasser, a member of the World Association for Medical Law's Board of Governors, has called for stronger medical law in Southeast Asia through the newly established ASEAN Society for Medical Law.
Nasser said in Jakarta on Sunday that stronger medical laws were increasingly necessary as patient referrals, professional exchanges and joint healthcare arrangements expanded among ASEAN member states.
“It is time for ASEAN countries to unite on medical law, particularly as healthcare facilities and doctors increasingly refer patients, interact and provide joint care across borders,” he said.
With ASEAN's population now nearing 700 million, medical law must balance the rights of patients and healthcare professionals, he said.
He expressed hope that regional cooperation on medical law would encourage ASEAN member states to revise their relevant national regulations.
Nasser also stressed that medical disputes require legal approaches tailored to the specific circumstances of healthcare cases.
“This is to ensure that medical disputes are not handled under generic legal frameworks,” he said.
The newly established ASEAN Society for Medical Law is chaired by Dr. Fajri Israq, an Indonesian delegate chosen by consensus. Israq is also a university lecturer and director of Graha Hermine Hospital in Batam.
The society aims to strengthen regional cooperation in medical law education and training within law programs across ASEAN countries.
At the meeting, Professor A. Kumaralingam of the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law stressed that patient interests should remain central to medical law development.
Professor Nguyen Thi Bao Anh of Nam Can Tho University's College of Law said ASEAN countries should narrow gaps in medical law development and enforcement, which has distinct characteristics compared with general law.
The meeting also designated Indonesia to host the society's first congress, scheduled for April or May 2027 in Yogyakarta or another Indonesian city.
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Translator: Tri Meilani Ameliya, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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