Furore over tree man Dede treatment
November 29, 2007
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Doctors treating an Indonesian man known as “Tree-man” - because of root-like growths on his hands and feet - have been slammed by the country’s health minister.
We previously posted the story with a video here.
Indonesian health minister Siti Fadilah Supari has criticised the US doctor treating 35-year-old Dede for taking blood and tissue samples out of the country, the UK newspaper The Telegraph reported.
Dede, who lives in a village to the south of Jakarta, is believed to be suffering from a rare strain of the Human Papilloma Virus.
Mrs Supari reportedly said that the samples could be used to create vaccines that would be too expensive for many people.
“We are offended because the samples were taken from Dede without our permission,” Mrs Supari reportedly said.
“If they are taken abroad, they could become lucrative commodities.”
The US dermatologist treating the fisherman, the University of Maryland’s Dr Anthony Gaspari, told The Telegraph that money had nothing to do with taking the samples out of Indonesia.
“We did take samples, and the reason we did was to render a diagnosis,” Dr Gaspari said.
“We did it for humanitarian reasons, to help the patient.”
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2 Responses to “Furore over tree man Dede treatment”
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This is a fantastically evil mindset on the part of the bureaucrat, that sacrifices the welfare of a suffering man to a collectivist ideology that puts *not* making a ‘profit’ ahead of human suffering.
In addition, there is no way Dr. Gaspari could make a profit off this. One doesn’t need Dede’s blood sample to get a sample of the HPV; it’s a common virus, available around the world. The unique factor here is Dede’s genetic profile, which means any such vaccine would have no application except to a very few individuals who share his genetic condition. So the ‘health’ minister Supari doesn’t even know what he’s talking about! It’s all about putting nationalistic pride ahead of ending the suffering of an innocent man.
Siti Supari: Shame on you for your callous, arrogant attitude.
If Dede was one of your family, would you still have the same policy?
This minister is a SOB of the worst order. Sounds like a mindset out of some Dickens novel.