Yogyakarta, June 4, 2025 – The weekly Raboan Research and Perspective Sharing returned on Wednesday with a meaningful discussion on real-life issues during the pandemic. Nathan Agwin Khenda, Ftr., M. Bio.Et., was the speaker, sharing insights on the topic: “Healthcare Workers’ Views on Family Involvement in Medical Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Khenda explained that during the pandemic, many patients couldn’t make decisions about their medical treatment. Some were too sick, didn’t understand their condition, or needed urgent care. So, decisions were often made by family members, community leaders, or even doctors directly.

This shows how strong family and community culture is in Indonesia. Important decisions, especially in health, are often made together, not just by the patient alone. This is called “familial autonomy”, where families play a big part in choosing what happens in medical treatment.

Based on stories from two hospitals, Khenda shared how things like family relationships, cultural values, and emergency situations affect these decisions. In normal conditions, doctors will try to explain everything first to both patients and families. But in emergencies, they have to act fast to save lives.

“In crisis moments, doctors focus on doing what’s best for the patient (beneficence) and choosing actions with the least risk (minus mallum),” Khenda said.

This topic also connects to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 16 (Justice and Strong Institutions). A good healthcare system should not only have good equipment or doctors, it should also respect people’s rights and cultural values.

This Raboan session left us with a big question to think about: in serious situations, who really makes the final call about our body—us, our family, or someone else?

Reporter          : Ardhini Nugrahaeni, M.K.M.

Editor              : Alvira Rahmasari, S.H.G.

 

Otonomi Kekerabatan dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Tindakan Medis saat Pandemi COVID-19