Hospital service

Hospital service

One really does not expect to be cheated by one of Jakarta's better hospitals -- but I was.

The other day I went to RS Abdi Waluyo for an X-ray of my arthritic left shoulder, to send to my surgeon in the UK -- also for a check-up X-ray on my left hip, upon which he had performed a replacement operation in 1990.

I inquired the cost and was told Rp 20,000 per shot, so I went ahead. The young woman who did the job seemed fairly unsure of what she was doing, so not surprisingly, having looked at the results she said that she would like to take two further shots.

When It came to paying, I paid my Rp 80,000 for what I thought was for four shots. I was then handed a sealed envelope containing, I expected, the four shots. However, when I got home to have a look, I found only two pictures, and those of such poor quality that I doubt if my surgeon in Britain will be much the wiser after he has seen them. I am waiting to hear. Not a very creditable performance by RS Abdi Waluyo, was it?

JAMES RICHARD

Jakarta