Legal Aspect of TB of the Worker

Abstract

Tuberculosis is still a big problem in many countries including Indonesia. World Health Organization in 1993 stated tuberculosis as a global emergency because one third of world population has been infected with tuberculosis. World Health Organization on its 2005 report mentioned 22 countries as high burden countries for tuberculosis. The problems related to active and post lung tuberculosis including morbidity, mortality, social, economy, legal aspect and also job opportunity. The lung tuberculosis patient generally are the productive age (15-45 year) and originally from low economic class. They loss the opportunity to find the good job and education, suffering of decreasing job performance and manpower quality. All the above factors decrease the productivity, salary and disturb the national economic growth. As stated in the TB patient's charter, the patient in the workplace has several rights including the right to get the medical services, the right of service with honor without stigmatization and discrimination, the right of information and consultation, the right of second opinion and informed consent, and the right of privacy. The manpower with active lung tuberculosis or post tuberculosis frequently suffering miss perception of their contagiousness and ability to return work from businessman, government or community due to stigmatization. The law and regulation actually good enough to regulate the right of manpower who got sick or cured to find job. Education is needed for the community to make understand the law or regulation and to remove the stigmatization