MDs accuse hospital director of graft

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Dozens of patients at a hospital for mentally disabled people were left abandoned as around 60 doctors demonstrated here on Monday to demand that their boss, the director, be replaced for his alleged role in corruption.

They rallied at the legislative council in Palu, threatening to go on strike if their demand was rejected.

Protest leader Dr Almasyah said the Madani hospital director, Dr Eko Susanto, should be dismissed, as they accused him of misusing funds for safety net programs (JPS) provided to the state-run hospital, and of marking up the medical costs for poor people.

Citing an example, Almansyah said Eko led two "comparative study" tours this year to Jakarta and Bogor, West Java, spending around Rp 100 million (US$11,764) from the JPS funds amounting to Rp 1.5 billion.

The tours -- first to Jakarta in February and second to Bogor in August -- did not involve the doctors or nurses, he added.

Moreover, Eko should also be held responsible for the mark-up of medical costs charged by the hospital for poor people in Central Sulawesi, Almansyah said.

He said that under Eko's leadership, the hospital had never provided health insurance for its nurses.

In a response to the protest, Eko denied the corruption allegations and said he would be ready to be replaced if it was the decision by the Central Sulawesi governor.

Firman Maranua, who chairs Commission A on the council, promised to soon summon Eko and the province's health office head to look into the doctors' complaints. --JP