Disobedient hospitals rebuked

Disobedient hospitals rebuked

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso should inform the public of the
names of private hospitals that have refused to provide free
medical treatment to flood victims, a health observer said on
Sunday.

"The free medical service is based on a government
instruction, which requires all hospitals to provide free medical
services for flood victims," said doctor Marius Widjajarta of the
Indonesia Health Consumers Empowerment Foundation (YPKKI).

Marius told Antara that such an announcement was needed to
punish those hospitals that have refused to comply with the
government's instruction to help relieve the suffering of flood-
related victims.

Marius also said Sutiyoso had the authority to impose
administrative sanctions to those disobedient hospitals,
including the revoking of their operational permits.

According to the Jakarta Health Agency, of 68 private
hospitals in the capital, only 46 hospitals have provided free
services for the flood victims, while the remaining 22 hospitals
could not provide the treatment because of limited medical
apparatus and limited stock of medicines. --JP