Hospital releases patient after he promises to pay medical bills
Hospital releases patient after he promises to pay medical bills
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Leonardus Pieter Herklos, 50, returned home on Thursday, two days
after his wife reported the Siloam Gleneagles Hospital in
Karawaci, Tangerang, where he was hospitalized, to the Jakarta
Police for allegedly holding him "hostage" until payment was
made.
The hospital's public relations manager Puspita Zorawar told
The Jakarta Post on Friday that the hospital allowed Leonardus to
return home after he had signed a statement saying that he would
pay his hospital bills when he was financially in position to do
so.
She claimed the hospital had given the Leonardus the best
possible treatment, "but he then placed us in difficult position
when he was ready to go home, but said he could not afford the
hospital bill."
Puspita added that although the patient had been held at the
hospital since being pronounced healthy enough to go home on
Sept. 3, the hospital had not charged for his stay there from
Sept. 16 until he was released on Thursday.
Accompanied by Iskandar Sitorus of the Health Legal Aid
Institute, Leonardus' wife, Lenny Francisca, 50, told the police
that the hospital refused to release her husband until the Rp 50
million (US$5,434) hospital bill was paid.
She said Leonardus, a driver, had been brought to hospital on
Aug. 16 with respiratory problems. Doctors performed a
gastroenterostomy a week later without Lenny's consent. After
five hours of surgery, the doctors found the problem was a burst
abscess on his liver.
Siloam Hospital president director Jessy Quantero has denied
the hospital held Leonardus "hostage", and said that the family
had agreed to pay all its medical fees, which he said had been
discounted.
On Friday, a hospital management expert, Herkutanto, met with
the Siloam Hospital management to discuss the issue.
"It's not cheap if you get sick in Indonesia as there are no
state subsidies for healthcare. This issue often gives rise to
disputes between hospitals and patients.
"The government should provide designated hospitals for poor
patients. In other countries, the government even pays for
treatment given in emergencies," Herkutanto explained.
He also suggested that the public find alternative means of
paying their medical bills, such as seeking help from charitable
organizations.