Dialysis patients suffer in crisis<\/p>\n
By Haryoso<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Wiryono, a 35-year-old civil servant suffering
\nfrom kidney failure, was stunned into silence recently on finding
\nout that he would now have to pay Rp 115,000 (US$12.75) for each
\nof his twice weekly dialysis sessions.<\/p>\n
\"I should have just dropped dead,\" he said. \"I will never be
\nable to afford it.\"<\/p>\n
Wiryono is a member of the state-owned health insurance scheme
\nAskes which usually covers his hospital expenses. Now, the
\nKariadi Hospital says he also has to pay the \"sharing cost\" of Rp
\n100,000 and cough up an additional Rp 15,000 for a catheter.<\/p>\n
Wiryono earns Rp 300,000 a month, a paltry sum given that he
\nhas two children to feed and send to school. Now, with the
\nadditional hospital fee, Wiryono will have to find Rp 800,000 for
\nthe dialysis and Rp 120,000 for the catheters every month.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot afford it,\" he said, adding that he planned to ask
\nhis neighborhood chief to write a letter testifying that he is
\ntoo poor to pay for the hospital fees in the hope he will be able
\nto resume treatment for free.<\/p>\n
Suwarno, a 40-year-old resident of Tlogosari, also has to
\nundergo routine dialysis in order to survive. \"I want to live,
\nbut it's getting more and more difficult. I wish I could just
\ndie,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sulaeman, the director of the Kariadi Hospital, admitted the
\nhospital could not avoid the service fee increase because of the
\nalready exorbitant prices of medical supplies and food.<\/p>\n
The price of X-ray films, for instance, had increased by 400
\npercent, while food prices had risen by 40 percent on average, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sri Astuti, the head of the Central Java health office,
\nconfirmed the need to increase hospital care fees because of the
\nrupiah's depreciation against the U.S. dollar over the past eight
\nmonths. \"The prices of both generic and patented drugs have
\nindeed increased,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Machmud Henhard, the director of Sultan Agung Hospital,
\nconcurred. Not only have prices increased, he said, but supplies
\nhad become scarce.<\/p>\n
\"Very often, the medicine supplies that we order do not reach
\nus,\" he said. \"Sometimes, medicine distributors refuse to name
\ntheir prices outright. They say they need to see how the rupiah
\nfluctuates before determining the prices.\"<\/p>\n
Budi Santoso, the head of pharmaceutical company Indofarma in
\nSemarang, attributed the soaring prices to the fact that most of
\nthe raw materials were still imported.<\/p>\n
\"We have to import more than 70 percent of the materials,\" he
\nsaid. \"Because of the increasing value of the dollar, we cannot
\navoid the medicine price increase.\"<\/p>\n
The Sultan Agung Hospital now prefers that patients or their
\nrelatives buy the medicines elsewhere. \"We give them a
\nprescription, and let them buy the drugs in other places,\"
\nMachmud said.<\/p>\n
Nuryani, a mother from Jl. Randusari, complained how she was
\nstill forced to buy medicine for her sick child. \"The medicine is
\ntwice its previous price, and I still have to buy it for my sick
\nchild.\"<\/p>\n
Mental<\/p>\n
The monetary crisis is also affecting people suffering from
\nmental illnesses, and is not helped by the fact that they need to
\navoid stress -- something that can be found in abundance at
\npresent.<\/p>\n
Susilo Setyodarmo, the director of the Magelang Mental
\nHospital, said: \"The former patients of this hospital do not only
\nneed medication, they need other things. The possibility of
\nfacing stress is even greater today because of various social and
\neconomic problems.<\/p>\n
\"They could get worse, so then all the money they have spent
\non their treatment becomes wasted.\"<\/p>\n
A visit to a psychiatric hospital used to cost patients Rp
\n6,5000. Now, they have to pay Rp 26,000 because of the economic
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
\"I am afraid the patients may be reluctant to have their
\nroutine checkups because of the increase,\" Susilo said. \"And if
\nthey don't come in for checkups, they could have a relapse.\"<\/p>\n
Soedomo Pradono, the director of Diponegoro Nursing Academy,
\nsaid one of the ways to deal with the crisis was by reducing the
\namount of medication taken. A patient, for instance, could take
\njust one pill per day instead of the usual three.<\/p>\n
Doctors are also being urged to prescribe cheaper, locally
\nmade drugs, or even alternative medicines, he said.<\/p>\n
Soetedjo, the chairman of the Central Java branch of the
\nIndonesian Medical Association, said the current economic crisis
\nshould be a reminder for people to take better care of their
\nhealth.<\/p>\n
\"There's no other way but to take better care of oneself so
\nthat one does not fall ill,\" he said. \"It's a much cheaper option
\nthan any medicine; eat nutritious food, get enough sleep and
\nexercise regularly.\"<\/p>\n
\"Being ill is far too expensive today,\" said Machmud.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dialysis-patients-suffer-in-crisis-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }