City to distribute free TB medication

JAKARTA: City administration officials launched on Friday a free medication program for tuberculosis patients in the city's 329 community health centers.

Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Djailani said the program was geared toward low-income patients.

"The disease also attacks productive-age people. So it could affect poverty eradication efforts," Djailani, stated after a ceremony which was also attended by Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi.

Djailani revealed that the city's health centers and hospitals had only treated 7,741 tuberculosis patients from a total of 12,540 TB sufferers in the city's five mayoralties.

He said the 2001 City Budget allocated Rp 5.3 billion (US$ 530,000) to support the eradication of the disease. --JP