Kidney patients ask for help

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: Some 30 kidney patients of the Abdul Moeloek General Hospital have requested help in continuing their treatment from the ministers of health and home affairs.

They said dialysis had become so expensive they could no longer afford it.

The patients, whose treatment was covered by state-owned insurance company PT Askes, said that not all treatment fees were covered, Antara reported yesterday.

The fee for dialysis was about Rp 130,000. However, the patients said that since last month they had been charged additional fees ranging between Rp 194,000 and Rp 282,000 depending on whether they used old or new equipment. (rms)