Four hospitals to get free medical supplies

JAKARTA (JP): Four major state hospitals in the country are to get free medical supplies donated by private businesses in the United States, it was announced on Friday.

The relief valued at US$1.73 million arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday morning in a special Federal Express cargo plane from the U.S.

The airlift was organized by Uplift International, a U.S.- based non-profit organization.

The hospitals which will receive donations are Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta, Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, East Java, Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, and Dr. W.Z. Johannes Hospital in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

"A preliminary Uplift field visit identified the four hospitals as being the most in need. So this first donation will be given directly to the four hospitals," Minister of Health Farid Anfasa Moeloek said.

"To ensure continuity of health services to the community ...an adequate supply of drugs and life saving medical supplies must in time be provided to all health facilities," Farid said.

"Therefore I can assure you that the government will take responsibility for distributing the donated goods to where they are most needed."

The minister was meeting the press at the Sheraton Bandara Hotel after symbolically receiving the donations from Uplift International Chairman Mark H. Schlansky at the airport.

Schlansky said the donation would not be "a one time effort" from the U.S. private sector, but would continue in the future. He said later that more medical relief supplies would arrive in November, but did not elaborate.

Included in the consignment which arrived on Friday were insulin, cardiovascular and emergency treatment drugs, drugs for eye diseases, medication for gastro-intestinal disorders, pain killers for adults and children, and medications for colds, coughs, allergies and other respiratory ailments.

Also included were antibiotics, antiparasitic preparations, sterile dressing and bandages, surgical supplies, vitamins and nutritional supplements, and general hospital and clinic supplies.

The price of patented drugs soared by as much as 70 percent earlier this year, while generic drugs, which account for about 80 of prescribed medications, jumped in price by up to 55 percent. People have complained that certain drugs are also hard to find. Uplift stated that Friday's shipment of medical supplies had received financial support from 10 U.S. companies, support in-kind from two U.S. companies and donations of medical supplies from a further 19 companies.

These include American International Group Inc., Procter and Gamble, Ford Motor, the Boeing Company, Levi Strauss & Co, Good Year Tire and Rubber Co., and a number of U.S. oil companies.

Also witnessing Friday's ceremony were U.S. Ambassador J. Stapleton Roy, the regional vice president of Federal Express South Pacific Region, David Cunningham, the executive director of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, Joseph Hayes, the president of the U.S.- Indonesia Society, Ed Masters, and Humanitarian Assistance and Gift-in-Kind project director Duane Scott. (aan)