Machines keep Suharto alive
Former Indonesian dictator Suharto's care during his two-week hospitalisation has sparked quiet debate on end-of-life issues in this predominantly Muslim nation.
Doctors said the 86-year-old suffers from multiple organ failure, pneumonia and sepsis, a potentially lethal blood infection.
When Suharto began struggling to breathe last week, his doctors asked Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari if he should be placed on a ventilator, to which she responded "no," let him die naturally advice the family ignored.
By early Wednesday, Suharto was starting to breathe on his own, prompting doctors to decrease dependence on the machine, said Dr. Mardjo Soebiandono.
When it comes to end-of-life issues in Indonesia, a country that provides no legal guidelines for doctors, religion plays a role.
Islam says all possible steps should be taken to save a dying patient, unless the risks outweigh the benefits, said Dr. Rusdy Malueka, an Islamic ethics specialist.
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