Professor of Harvard Medical School, Prof. Byron J. Good delivered a public lecture of Medical Anthropology at UGM. With the theme Building Mental Health Capacity in Multi-Cultural Indonesia: Anthropology, Indonesian Subjectivities, and Post-Colonial Disorders, Prof. Byron admitted that he had been doing research in Indonesia. He has continuously been following the development of society from the New Order era and the end of the regime to reforms era.
He said that it is important to develop mental health facilities in Indonesia, because from the previous to present government, mental health problems still receive less attention. The number of experts in the field of psychological or psychiatric in Indonesia is very little compared to that in neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. "Another cause is the people of Indonesia still have a greater confidence on traditional medicine in curing mental disorders" he said at the University Club on Monday (16/7).
Therefore, he hoped the government's attention to mental health problems increase because high demands in today's life cause a lot of issues around mental health.
Dr. Carla Raymondalexas Marchira, Sp.KJ., a psychiatrist as well as participant of the public lecture, had the same expectation. She hoped the public lecture of Prof. Byron can open the horizon and increase student interest in studying Medical Anthropology. "This course is important, because it seems that Medical Anthropology is not familiar in Indonesia," Carla said.
The public lecture opened by LPPM Head, Prof. Dr-Tech. Ir. Danang Parikshit, M.Sc, was attended by Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences as well as the moderator, Dr. Ida Rochani, S.U, Prof. dr. Laksono Trisantoro, M.Sc., Ph.D, Dr. Carla Raymondalexas Marchira, Sp.KJ and Prof. Mary-Jo, wife of Prof. Byron.