MDs accuse hospital director of graft

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