Health ministry hit by corruption claims<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An official from a consumer health protection
\nbody said on Tuesday that corrupt ministry officials continued to
\nimpede hospitals from securing Ministry of Health accreditation.<\/p>\n
Marius Wijayarta of the Consumers Health Protection Foundation
\nsaid the foundation had received complaints from seven hospitals.
\nThey claimed they had been \"forced\" by officials from the
\nministry's accreditation committee to pay money before the
\naccreditation certificates would be granted.<\/p>\n
\"The tariff set by the hospital accreditation committee
\nvaries. A small hospital must pay up to Rp 12.5 million
\n(US$1,602.6), while a bigger one pays about Rp 50 million,\"
\nMarius told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the committee comprised officials from the Ministry of
\nHealth and medical and science professionals, but that the
\ncommittee was \"dominated by ministry personnel\".<\/p>\n
He said that in many cases the committee members skipped
\nseveral accreditation procedural stages, permitting some
\nhospitals to obtain the certificates without following due
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
A normal accreditation process comprises four stages: input,
\nprocess, output and impact.<\/p>\n
Marius said a hospital could pass the input stage if it had
\nall basic hospital facilities, including an emergency room,
\nadequate medical equipment, good management and proper medical
\nrecord systems.<\/p>\n
\"It is possible that a hospital, which has passed the input
\nstage, may not obtain the certificate if its medical equipment
\nfails to meet client satisfaction, meaning that it has failed to
\nmeet the impact stage standard,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Health Farid Anfasa Moeloek said he
\nwould verify the reports with the committee.<\/p>\n
\"I will take firm action if the reports are true,\" Farid said
\non Tuesday after addressing a seminar on the government's health
\npolicy in the year 2010 at City Hall.<\/p>\n
He said information about the corrupt practices was news to
\nhim.<\/p>\n
\"It's been a common practice in the country that staff only
\nreport good things,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Head of the city office of the Ministry of Health, Deddy
\nRuswendi, strongly denied the report.<\/p>\n
\"There is no such practice. The truth is that management of
\nhospitals paid for the transportation expenses of the
\naccreditation committee members, but not more than that,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Deddy said there were 48 accredited hospitals, out of a total
\nof 95 state and privately owned city hospitals. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/health-ministry-hit-by-corruption-claims-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}