Impoverished addicts to get free treatment<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Drug addicts who come from poor families have been included among
\nthose to qualify for free medical treatment under the
\ngovernment's program to compensate for the fuel subsidy
\nreduction, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said that hospitals appointed under the program could
\nnot shut their doors to poor drug addicts, who, like other
\npatients, had the right to health services.<\/p>\n
He said he had received reports from the management of South
\nJakarta Drug Addiction Clinic that none of its patients last year
\ncame from the lower income group.<\/p>\n
\"Probably drug addicts from disadvantaged families did not
\nseek medical treatment at the special hospital because they were
\nnot informed about the government program or too afraid that
\ntheir condition might become public knowledge,\" Sujudi said.<\/p>\n
The minister asked drug addiction clinics to take the
\ninitiative by sending medical staff into the field to seek poor
\ndrug addicts and provide them with free medical assistance.<\/p>\n
Under the previous social safety net program, the government
\noffered free medical services to drug addicts who could not
\nafford to pay the rehabilitation fees.<\/p>\n
The government has allocated Rp 500 billion (US$48 million)
\nthis year from savings from the state's fuel subsidy reduction to
\nprovide medical services for the country's 37.3 million poor. The
\nfunds will be distributed to 468 mainly state hospitals and 7,000
\npublic health centers nationwide between February and April.<\/p>\n
Of the amount, Rp 326 billion will be allocated to health
\nservices, Rp 130 billion to provide generic medicines, Rp 35
\nbillion to provide Hepatitis B vaccines and the remaining Rp 9
\nbillion for support expenditure.<\/p>\n
Unlike last year, the poor will no longer be required to
\nproduce a letter from local authorities explaining their
\neligibility to receive free medical treatment. Instead, the
\nhospitals themselves should verify whether the patients are
\neligible for the services.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said, during the launch of the program on Friday, that
\nnonappointed hospitals also had to give treatment to the poor in
\nemergency cases.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/impoverished-addicts-to-get-free-treatment-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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