Health services still inferior for poor

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.