'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.