Health services still inferior for poor

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Low income people are not getting the free medical care they are entitled to despite having health cards, prompting an angry response from the Minister of Health.

Subarjo, 55, a resident of Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday complained after he was charged Rp 240,000 (US$24) when he sought medical treatment in the third class ward at the Wirosaban State Hospital.

He was eventually exempted from the payment but only after health minister Siti Fadilah Supari intervened. The minister, who was visiting the hospital unannounced, was angry with the hospital staff and asked them to return the money to Subarjo.

"Health card holders deserve free medical care. Return the money," Siti told staff.

The doctor who treated Subarjo was also reprimanded.

"As a doctor I can only examine patients and prescribe drugs to them. Whether the patients will have to pay for the medicines or not is not my business," the doctor said afterwards.

The government has disbursed Rp 3.78 trillion for health care for the poor as part of assistance funds for low-income families across the country, following the government's decision to raise fuel prices next month.

Low income people, who earn less than US$1 a day, or around Rp 11,100, are entitled to health cards, and have to produce it when they seek medical treatment.

Hospital staff said Subarjo had to pay for the prescribed drugs as they were not on the list of free drugs issued by the government and the state health insurance company PT Askes.

However, Siti insisted that the hospital could not charge a poor patient for any reason. "Whether the drugs are on the list or not, the poor must get free health care."

A relieved Subarjo said: "Thank God, now I can use the money to buy rice."

At her next stop at a community health center in Umbulharjo district, Yogyakarta, Siti found an internal regulation that required poor people to seek approval from the district administration and the local social services agency in order to obtain health cards.

The government only requires the poor to register with their subdistrict office to obtain the cards.

"How come sick people are asked to go to a district administration office and the social service agency? Their illnesses may worsen," Siti said.