Govt subsidy won't meet minimum health costs

Govt subsidy won't meet minimum health costs

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government said on Wednesday it could not afford to pay for
free health services for the country's poor despite almost
doubling the amount of money in a special health fund.

Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said the government would
disburse a total of Rp 950 billion in April, a significant
increase from last year's Rp 500 billion. The money will come
from the government's fuel subsidy fund.

The government has removed the fuel subsidy in a bid to reduce
the budget deficit and cut dependence on foreign donors, notably
the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

To cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, the
government has increased subsidies for certain sectors, including
health and education.

For health the government has allotted Rp 950 billion, which
it plans to begin disbursing in April.

Sujudi said the health fund would still be insufficient to
provide the minimum monthly health expense of Rp 8,000 per
person. The money will be distributed to some 47.9 million poor
people across the country.

Sujudi said the fund would only cover Rp 1,654 of the minimum
Rp 8,000 per poor person per month.

"We hope regional administrations can cover the gap to ensure
the poor receive basic health services, but only a few of them
seem willing to do so," Sujudi said.

Sujudi said some Rp 33 billion of the total health fund would
be used to pay for TV commercials, health campaigns and
monitoring and evaluation programs conducted by universities.

The government also has allocated Rp 143 billion for poor
families to receive health care at public health centers, and Rp
326 billion for health facilities in state-run hospitals.

Sujudi said the government also allocated some Rp 130 billion
to help the poor receive free generic medicine and Rp 35 billion
to vaccinate 1.4 million babies against hepatitis B.

Some Rp 69 billion will be used to upgrade 244,832 health
posts providing care for babies and toddlers throughout the
country.

Sujudi said three provinces -- Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Aceh --
and 15 regencies had agreed to provide some money to ensure free
health care for the poor this year.

"They are our pilot projects this year to provide free health
services for the poor through health insurance," he said.

In general, money from the health fund is given directly to
every public health center and state-run hospital across the
country.

Azrul Azwar, director general of community health at the
Ministry of Health, said that to meet the insurance premium of Rp
384,000 per poor family per annum, regional administrations have
to provide Rp 298,000 per poor person per annum because the
compensation fund can only provide some Rp 86,000.

"Regional administrations could make some cuts in their
administrative expenses if they do not have the money so that the
poor can enjoy decent health services," he said.

Azrul said five state-run universities would monitor the use
of the health sector compensation fund from the fuel subsidy
removal in 371 regencies.

"We need them to ensure that the money is received safely by
the recipients and used wisely by related institutions because
there is often corruption at the grassroots level," Sujudi said.