'Life takes second place to money'

'Life takes second place to money'

The health services are supposed to be for all citizens,
regardless of their social status. However, many people from the
lower income brackets are reluctant to seek treatment in the
hospital as they cannot afford the medical bills. Besides, being
rejected by a hospital on account of lack of money is an
exceedingly bitter pill to swallow. Some Jakarta people shared
their experiences with The Jakarta Post.

Sri, not her real name, 40, is an employee who lives in North
Jakarta:

I will never forget the terrible treatment we received from a
hospital in North Jakarta.

The doctor had diagnosed my sister as having kidney failure
and she had to be hospitalized. When I tried to admit her to the
hospital, I couldn't come up with the Rp 1 million (US$117.65)
down payment.

After some tough negotiations with someone I knew in the
hospital, they agreed to admit my sister to an economy ward.

During her time in the hospital, the doctor who had earlier
diagnosed my sister's illness never showed up to check on her.
Instead, the nurses just gave her blood transfusions, which did
not help much.

When my sister vomited up blood, another doctor said that it
was simply bronchitis.

On the third day, my sister died without receiving any proper
treatment. The doctor who had earlier diagnosed her finally
showed up and asked me to sign a form saying that the doctors had
treated her properly.

I was terribly disappointed and upset.

I often think that my sister was denied proper treatment
because she was in an economy ward.

I'm sure hospitals discriminate against the poor. Even when
the poor are really ill, all that counts is money.

Dian, 32, is an employee in Salemba, Central Jakarta. She
lives in Kayu Jati, East Jakarta, with her husband and daughter:

I've had a real nightmare experience with a hospital.

It happened in March this year when my parents and my brother
were seriously injured in a car accident in Cirebon (West Java).

Due to a lack of the necessary medical equipment, the hospital
in Cirebon recommended that they be moved to a private hospital
in Central Jakarta.

I quickly booked beds for them. When they arrived here at 11
p.m., they were not treated immediately. The nurse shouted at me
to get my parents and brother out of the room, saying that we
were last in the queue and that the room was full.

Surprisingly, there were other patients with lighter injuries
being treated in the room. They could even walk.

My brother's face was badly cut by flying glass, my mother was
unconscious and my father had broken his leg. And yet the nurse
said they had to wait and follow procedures!

It sucked!

Why could such a reputable hospital not prioritize the
patients' interests and be flexible with the procedures?

Topik, 25, is a vendor who sells candies on public buses in
Cawang, East Jakarta. He lives in Kalimalang, East Jakarta, with
his wife and daughter:

Frankly, I'm afraid to go to a hospital because a lot of my
friends have had unpleasant experiences with the health services.

Life takes second place to money in our hospitals, and for
poor people like me, getting hospital treatment is beyond our
means.

I had planned to take my wife to a maternity hospital when she
was about to deliver our baby. But I canceled the plan and took
her to a traditional midwife instead.

If we get sick and need medical treatment, we just go to the
nearest community health center, which is much cheaper.

I have to be very careful about my money. If I get sick or
have an accident, it will be very expensive. We all know that
hospitals are not for the poor.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.