The Jakarta administration has shut down all Chiropractic First clinics in the capital following a report of alleged malpractice causing the death of Allya Siska Nadya last year.



Jakarta Health Agency head Koesmedi Priharto said that the agency had checked the company's documents and found that Chiropractor First did not have a practice permit with the agency, and was thus operating illegally.



'Chiropractic is categorized as a traditional medication so the clinic needs to have a permit from the Health Agency to operate. However, we found that in fact they do not have a permit,' Koesmedi told reporters at City Hall on Thursday.



Koesmedi said the agency suspected that Chiropractic First chose only to operate in shopping centers so it could more easily run without the city administration's knowledge. According to its website, Chiropractic First's branches across Jakarta were located in shopping centers such as Lippo Mall Puri and Mall Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta, Pondok Indah Mall, Kota Kasablanka and fX Sudirman in South Jakarta and Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta.



'The clinic mostly operated in shopping centers, probably because it was easier for them. However, shopping centers should keep track of their tenants too, because the agency wouldn't have any knowledge about this clinic if the case hadn't been publicized,' he said.



He further explained that the American doctor who was allegedly responsible for the malpractice, Randall Cafferty, was also not listed as an official health practitioner with the Health Ministry.



'Since he is a foreigner, he must register with the Health Ministry. However, we discovered that he is not listed,' Koesmedi said.



Cafferty reportedly also had a problematic career in the US. According to the Californoa Board of Chiropractic Examiners' website, Cafferty has been on probation and had his license revoked on March 3, 2013 due to 'unprofessional conduct and conviction of crime', effective for three years. A report was filed against him on Aug. 22, 2012.



Koesmedi said that all of Chiropractor First's branches in Jakarta were operating without a practice permit from his agency, and were shut down on Thursday.



Thirty-two-year-old victim Allya reportedly went to the Chiropractic First clinic in Pondok Indah Mall on Aug. 5 last year for a consultation for neck pain. She underwent her first session with Cafferty on Aug. 6 to address the problem.



However, when Allya returned home in the late evening after the session, she suffered from severe pain in her neck. She called her parents, Alfian Helmy and Arnisda Helmy, who immediately took her to Pondok Indah Hospital in South Jakarta.



Allya died on Aug. 7 in the hospital, which issued a medical report saying she had died with abnormalities in her neck bones after receiving therapy at the Chiropractic First clinic.



Suspecting malpractice, Alfian and Arnisda filed a report against Cafferty on Aug. 12.



Jakarta Police general crime director Sr. Comr. Krishna Murti said on Thursday that the police had questioned 11 witnesses, including three experts. The police also examined Allya's medical records issued by Pondok Indah Hospital.



However, he said that the police had difficulty in determining the cause of death as Allya's family had not allowed an autopsy to be carried out.



'[Our investigations] have been hampered by the family's refusal of an autopsy,' Krishna said. 'To solve the case, we need their cooperation. We will meet them again and propose that the procedure be carried out.'



Krishna further said that the police were yet to question Cafferty, who reportedly fled the country as he had attended two questioning sessions. The police are currently searching for him. (agn)

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