252 patients leave Tangerang hospital without paying<\/p>\n
TANGERANG (JP): At least 252 patients of Tangerang General
\nHospital ran away before paying their bills in the first 10
\nmonths of this year, causing the hospital losses of Rp 159.17
\nmillion (US$21,200), an official said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In comparison the total number of fleeing patients last year
\nwas only 160 with total losses amounting to Rp 190.83 million,
\nhospital president H. Syartil Arfan said.<\/p>\n
\"The sharply rising number of patients who have fled without
\npaying is being caused mainly by the substantial fall in the
\npatients' incomes due to the prolonged economic crisis,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The number of patients seeking medical treatment in the
\nhospital dropped drastically compared last year, Syartil said
\nwithout giving any details.<\/p>\n
He explained that the fleeing patients were not only from poor
\nfamilies but also consisted of dishonest people.<\/p>\n
\"There are many patients who register themselves to get
\nmedical treatment here by using fake identity cards. Many of them
\nhad planned to cheat the hospital beforehand,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Actually there is no need for them to run away as the
\nhospital management will never hold patients who turn out to be
\nincapable of paying the bills,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Syartil urged the public not to be afraid of seeking medical
\ntreatment at the hospital as the management would exempt patients
\nfrom paying if they were really broke.<\/p>\n
He also explained that the number of patients who, when
\nregistering, submitted documents from their subdistrict heads
\nconfirming they were from poor families was 202 in the
\nJanuary\/October period.<\/p>\n
The number of such patients for the whole of last year was
\n197.<\/p>\n
Syartil said that patients from poor families wanting to get
\nmedical treatment at the hospital could register themselves by
\nusing documents from their respective subdistrict heads, with the
\nconsent of the district chiefs.<\/p>\n
\"Those who are discharged from the hospital after treatment
\nare forced to sign agreements as to their willingness to pay,
\neven though many of them turn out to be penniless,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Syartil reminded patients not to forget the hospital's
\nfinancial situation, as its operational costs were born wholly by
\nthe hospital.<\/p>\n
The hospital did get assistance from various parties, but only
\nfor maintenance, he said. The Japanese government, for example,
\nonce gave a donation channeled through the Ministry of Health in
\nthe form of used medical equipment, including syringes and blood
\nsets.<\/p>\n
The health ministry set aside Rp 750 million for the hospital
\nper year and the home affairs ministry Rp 532 million, he said.<\/p>\n
\"All of the donations are earmarked to help patients from poor
\nfamilies,\" he added. (41\/hhr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/252-patients-leave-tangerang-hospital-without-paying-1447893297",
"image": ""
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