All Puskesmas set to have same tariff

All Puskesmas set to have same tariff

JAKARTA: Following complaints that Public Health Centers
(Puskesmas) in Jakarta have different tariffs for their health
services, the city administration is planning ensure charges are
consistent.

City Health Agency Head A Chalik Masulili said on Thursday
that they would convene a meeting with all the centers to discuss
their public services and tariffs.

"Then I'll issue a (city health agency) decree ruling on the
same tariff," he said, adding that he had not yet determined the
charges.

According to Bylaw No. 3, 1999, the tariffs, which are
subsidized, should be Rp 2,000 (about 30 US cents) each time a
person visits. The service includes the doctors' checkup and
medicine.

But Syamsidar Siregar, a councillor of Jakarta City Council
Commission E, said her commission had found that 50 percent of
the centers in Jakarta charged their patients between Rp 3,000
and Rp 5,000.

The National Mandate Party councillor said that some officials
claimed they had to charge patients more because their services
were of a better quality than those set in the regulations. She
said they had a laboratory facility, which was not owned by
others.

Masulili stated that the new charge will cover all health
services.--JP