Jamsostek covers dengue sufferers

JAKARTA: State-owned PT Jamsostek will cover the medical cost of workers and their families infected by dengue fever since the epidemic was declared a national disaster.

Workers registered with Jamsostek and their family members suffering from the sometimes fatal ailment would be allowed to stay in second class rooms at state-run hospitals or third class in private hospitals.

"Workers are required to show only their membership cards in Jamsostek and they are free to enter any hospitals in the areas where they reside," Jamsostek president Achmad Djunaidi said here on Thursday.

He explained that many workers and their families had been infected with the mosquito-borne disease, but many were rejected by hospitals for lack of money or insurance.

"Hospitals should not reject dengue patients who are members of Jamsostek because their medical costs will be fully covered by our company," he said. --JP