Fiercer Hospital rivalry means good news for patients

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): The rapid increase in the number of hospitals in the country and the liberalization of services is resulting in fiercer competition in the medical care provision business.

But for customers, or patients in this case, such a phenomenon is good news.

As a consequence of such a circumstance, hospital managements can no longer think patients need them more than vice versa or think the patients will come no matter how ordinary the hospital's facilities and no matter bad the services.

Now they have no choice but to acquire the latest, most sophisticated medical equipment to attract patients. Otherwise they will be the losers in the business competition.

Many hospitals have already made great strides to face the expected fiercer competition. Some even offer five-star-hotel- room facilities for rich patients, who want to have every modern conveniences to hand during their medical treatment.

For instance, the most luxurious room in a hospital is usually air conditioned and equipped with a telephone, television, living room, kitchenette and bathroom.

The room rates also vary -- based on facilities -- from Rp 7,500 (US$3.13) per night for third class in state-owned hospitals to more than Rp 800,000 ($335) per night for an executive room in private-owned hospitals.

The number of patients treated in each room also ranges from 10 or more in third class to total privacy in VIP rooms.

In exclusive rooms, patients' relatives are allowed to spend the night in the same room, where additional beds are available for them.

Better services for the patients are also one of many hospitals' promises, such as offering home or company visits, family doctors and vaccination programs.

The increase in the number of services offered -- many hospitals now provide comfortable lobbies and waiting rooms, banks, coffee shops, drug stores, bakeries, and even gift shops and florists -- is expected to attract more patients.

Despite these improvements, many hospital managements are also striving to adjust to the coming free trade era by initiating hospital administration programs to improve their management skills.

However, the competition among hospitals -- by providing the latest and the best medical equipment, luxurious facilities and services -- has raised medical costs.

The changing situation does not impinge much on the rich but only on the poor, for whom the soaring medical costs are ringing alarm bells.

Pondok Indah Hospital executive director A. Kiagoes admitted there is stiff competition among hospitals.

"Hospitals are a service industry and it's certainly a profitable business as long as you can manage it. In the coming years, the hospital business will continue to boom," Kiagoes said.

By 2,000 analysts predict the city will still need 5,000 more beds than the current 15,000 beds for its 10 million population.

"So, there should be at least 25 more hospitals because each hospital usually has only about 200 beds," Kiagoes said.

He revealed that 605 patients come to his hospital every day.

"Of our 605 patients, 87 percent are regulars. Why? Because our rates are not expensive and we offer the best services...," Kiagoes said.

He said that the key to success in the hospital business is ensuring patient satisfaction. "If the patients are satisfied, they won't mind the costs," Kiagoes.

The ratio between the number of beds to the city's population is 1:645, while the latest records indicate that the number of patients treated regularly in hospitals is still high, almost 21.75 percent of Jakarta's population.

The Ministry of Health's Director General of Medical Care, Soejoga, said he acknowledged the competition among hospitals.

"Competition is natural, but as long as the competition among hospitals has positive benefits, such as to improve services to the patients, it's fine," Soejoga said.

"Besides, only the hospitals which can give the best services to patients can survive," he said.

He has noticed a change of people's demands from hospitals due to the improvement of education and income levels.

"In the past, people were satisfied with basic medical services, but now, they aren't satisfied with general practitioners and want medical specialists instead," Soejoga said.

He denied Indonesian doctors' ignorance is caused by their tight schedules in various hospitals.

"Of the country's 17,000 doctors, only 14 percent also work in private hospitals," Soejoga said.

In Jakarta, a doctor is only allowed to work part-time in two private hospitals, he said.

However, despite the improvement in hospital conditions, there are some people who tend to have medical checkups abroad, he said.

"In my opinion, our medical facilities and the quality of our doctors are not much different from other countries...."

He admitted however that some Indonesian doctors are not able to maintain close relationships with their patients, or that, unlike in other countries, Indonesian doctors do not inform their patients if they are late for an appointment. Abroad doctors inform the patients because "the patient is considered a king in other countries."

Siloam Gleneagles Hospital commissioner Roy E. Tirtadji said that the hospital is developed as part of the township project, adding that part of its mission is to encourage Indonesian people not to have medical checkups abroad.

"In the long term, we expect this hospital will be able to compete not only with local hospitals, but also foreign hospitals. It is also expected not just to attract people who live in this township, but also those who used to travel abroad for medical treatment.

"People who used to travel abroad for treatment spend a lot of money. If we can make them have the treatment here it will be great, for them as well as for us," he said.