City criticized for not prioritizing health

JAKARTA: The city administration was criticized for lowering the priority for health affairs in its budget by a ministry of health official.

"The ideal budget for health affairs should be around 15 percent of the regional total," said Director General for Community Health Affairs Azrul Azwar here on Monday.

The city's 2002 health budget was lower than 15 percent of the total budget. Of the total development budget of Rp 3.63 trillion (US$387.8 million), only Rp 268.8 billion or seven percent was allocated for health-related items.

Azrul argued that health is one of the most vital issues in a large city such as Jakarta, therefore the city administration should make it a priority.

He said that due to the existence of millions of poor urban people who could not afford to pay for health care, it was important for the government to take care of those who desperately needed help. -- JP