Regional hospitals form association<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A national meeting of state-owned regional
\nhospitals agreed on Friday to form the Association of Regional
\nHospitals (Arsada) in anticipation of the enactment of the
\nautonomy law in January.<\/p>\n
Unanimously voted in as chairman of the new association was
\nUmar Wahid, director of East Jakarta's Pasar Rebo Regional
\nHospital.<\/p>\n
\"This association will consist of some 380 regional hospitals
\n(about 80 percent of all hospitals in the country) located in 28
\nprovinces,\" Umar said after the closing of the three-day meeting.<\/p>\n
\"We will function as a mediator between the hospitals and the
\ngovernment,\" Umar, who is also the younger brother of President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid, said.<\/p>\n
Besides medical practitioners, the meeting was attended by
\nover 100 regents from across the country to share their views on
\nthe management and services of the hospitals.<\/p>\n
\"The hospitals must be given a free rein to develop
\nthemselves. Their profits must be used to run self-sufficient
\nhospitals and later they can be turned into provincial-owned
\ncompanies which will enable them to provide low-cost health
\nservice for patients,\" Umar said.<\/p>\n
The management of the hospitals in each region, however, will
\ndepend on a further consensus between the hospitals and the local
\ncouncils and administrations, he said.<\/p>\n
\"So far, only those in Jakarta, West Java, Central Java and
\nEast Java are ready to face the era of decentralization.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore during this meeting we also agreed that regional
\nhospitals must maintain their social services for the lower-
\nclasses, and at least 50 percent of beds in each hospital must be
\navailable for third-class rooms,\" Umar said.<\/p>\n
A. Chalik Masulili, who is the director of North Jakarta's
\nKoja Hospital, reiterated the need for hospitals to provide more
\nbeds at the lowest cost.<\/p>\n
\"About 65 percent of 275 rooms in Koja Hospital are available
\nfor third-class rooms, and we only have two VIP rooms.<\/p>\n
\"As in Pasar Rebo Hospital, the rate for third-class rooms is
\nRp 9,000 per person, including three meals a day plus the
\nrequired treatments and medicine.<\/p>\n
\"If the cost is paid by a company, the third-class room is Rp
\n14,000 with the same facilities,\" Chalik said.<\/p>\n
The meeting also recommended structural changes to make
\nhospital administrations less bureaucratic, and the issuance of a
\nspecial government regulation on regional hospitals to establish
\nproper sanctions for those hospitals that refuse to treat the
\npoor. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regional-hospitals-form-association-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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