Foreigners urged to invest in hospitals
Foreigners urged to invest in hospitals
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Health Sujudi urged foreign
investors yesterday to help in the government's effort to build
more hospitals in the country.
While he made no mention of specific incentives to foreign
investors, Sujudi said hospitals in Indonesia must employ
Indonesian staff as far as it is possible.
Speaking during the installation of new commissioners and
directors at state companies under his charge, the minister said
he would not dissuade those foreigners interested only in
hospitals catering to the wealthy.
This would mean that in the future, wealthy Indonesians will
not have to go overseas for medical treatment, he said.
The Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore was the first foreign
institution to set up a hospital in Indonesia, with the
construction of the PT Siloam Gleneagles Hospital in Tangerang,
just outside of Jakarta, in cooperation with Indonesia's property
developer Lippoland.
Sujudi said Indonesia needs many more hospitals, which the
government alone cannot be expected to build.
The presence of foreign hospitals in Indonesia would also more
mean more job opportunities in the country. He added that more
modern hospitals would force Indonesian staff to improve their
skill and expertise.
The government has opened up the door to foreigners to invest
in the hospital sector under joint ventures with Indonesian
companies. Such hospitals are subject to the government
requirement to set aside at least 25 percent of their beds for
the poor, free of charge.
The minister announced the change in the legal status of Perum
Indonesia Farma, the state-owned drug manufacturer, into a full
fledged limited company with the new name PT Indonesia Farma.
"With the new status the company can use its profits to
finance its expansion," Sujudi said.
He also installed Indo Farma's new board of commissioners and
directors.
The board of commissioners is headed by Wisnu Katim, the
Director of Food and Drug Supervision at the Ministry of Health,
while the board of directors is headed by Gunawan Pranoto.
Sujudi also installed Prijono Ashari as finance director of PT
Askes, the state health insurance company, replacing Manan
Prasojo, who has retired.
Responding to reporters' questions, Sujudi said he expected
Indonesia's exports of medicines to increase to $40 million from
about $25 million.
He denied the suggestion that the prices of medicines in
Indonesia are among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region as
claimed by the Indonesian Consumer Foundation. "Not all drugs
here are expensive. Only some medicines which have trademarks or
are produced by foreign manufacturers," he said. (31)