Low-cost health centers fail to give good service
Low-cost health centers fail to give good service
JAKARTA (JP): More people are turning in the economic crisis
to low-cost community health centers, known locally as Puskesmas,
but many are reportedly coming away disappointed with services.
A survey organized by the respected Indonesian Consumers
Foundation (YLKI) examined several centers in all 27 provinces.
One finding was that a rise in fees at many health centers was
not accompanied by enhancement of services.
Nazaiy Aziz from the Aceh branch of YLKI said beginning in
February the centers were visited by people of all age brackets,
not merely those categorized as poor.
The increase in the consultation fee from Rp 500 (30 U.S.
cents) to Rp 1,000 might not be a burden to many, Nazaiy said,
but services and attitudes of the centers' officials were often
disappointing.
"I saw an official withhold drugs from an ailing patient while
telling him the supply was limited, and ordering the patient to
go to the drug store," he said in a discussion Tuesday.
However, secretary-general of the Indonesian Medical
Association (IDI) Hasbullah Tabrany said the problems mentioned
by Nazaiy were merely the ones readily apparent, and that many
others also existed.
He said the low income of health officials and limited
subsidies had overburdened Puskesmas in its set mission to
provide preventive and curative services while enhancing health
levels in communities.
There are about 7,000 community health centers nationwide,
according to the University of Indonesia's School of Public
Health.
Former IDI chairman Kartono Mohamad said in the discussion
that the government should introduce changes and allow Puskesmas
to focus on just one or two of its set missions.
Service could be developed later in better circumstances,
program officer of the Ford Foundation Rosalia Sciortino said.
It was more important for the country to launch immediate
action to deal with the impact of the prolonged economic crisis,
she added.
"Quality of services is important," she said. But she believed
that poor service was still acceptable as long as medical
treatment was up to standard.
The country should be aware of more immediate health problems
such as the limited blood supply, medical equipment, drugs and
proper nutrition for infants and children.
She said priority should be put on treatment for children and
mothers, especially those in remote areas.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, by June of this
year the number of poor in the country reached 79.9 million, or
40 percent of the total population. Almost 70 percent of the poor
live in villages with limited access to nutritious food and
adequate medical services. (emf)