Hospitals accused of malpractice
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Tangerang
Relatives of two patients being treated at Siloam Gleneagles Hospital in Karawaci, Tangerang, and Medistra Hospital in Central Jakarta, reported the hospitals on Tuesday to the Jakarta Police for alleged malpractice.
Both hospitals denied the allegations.
Accompanied by Iskandar Sitorus of the Health Legal Aid Institute, Lenny Francisca, 50, told the police that Siloam Gleneagles Hospital refused to release her husband, Leonardus Pieter Herklos, until the Rp 50 million (US$5,434) hospital bill was paid.
She said Leonardus, a driver, was hospitalized since Aug. 16 with breathing 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 Leonardus' liver.
The doctors said on Sept. 3 that Leonardus was able to go home, but the family could only pay Rp 4.5 million.
"The hospital ignored the family's request for a discount even though they submitted official letters stating that the family is poor," Iskandar said.
Siloam Hospital president director Jessy Quantero denied the hospital was holding the patient "hostage" for the payment.
"The family agreed to pay all the treatment fees, which were already discounted. But later, after the patient was recuperating, they told us they could not afford it. What is really happening is that there is still no agreement with the family to settle the down payment," she told The Jakarta Post.
Meanwhile, Bosco Ham accused Medistra Hospital of giving him incorrect information on the condition of his 9-year-old son, Lexyano Hamsalim, before performing heart surgery on the boy on Aug. 23. Lexyano is now in a coma.
"The doctors told me that the chances for successful heart surgery were 99 percent ... but after the surgery, the doctors told me that there was the possibility of complications," said Bosco, a resident of Pekanbaru, Riau.
Lexyano reportedly experienced severe hemorrhaging the day after the surgery and fell into a coma.