Moeloek gets one week to launch reforms
Moeloek gets one week to launch reforms
JAKARTA (JP): University of Indonesia medical students have
given Minister of Health F.A. Moeloek one week to announce
measures to totally reform the country's healthcare system or
resign.
"If the minister fails to do this, we will ask him
respectfully to resign in order to protect the interests of the
people," Sugisman, spokesman for the medical students, said at a
free speech forum yesterday.
The gathering criticized the government for placing an unfair
burden on those who required medical treatment by failing to
guarantee the availability of affordable medicine, and for paying
scant attention to "the right to a healthy life."
Sugisman, as quoted by Antara, said that rampant corruption,
collusion and nepotism in the Ministry of Health had resulted in
inefficiency and the mismanagement of funds and had caused the
price of medical care to rise.
Minister Moeloek, who was also in the gathering and wore a
headband written with "Reform in Health", welcomed the call and
said he would be ready to resign if he failed to launch reform in
his ministry.
He identified a number of priority areas, including securing
the availability of generic and essential medicines, and formula
milk for infants and children, for at least two years.
Moeloek, who is also a professor in the medical school at
University of Indonesia, said the ministry had opened a special
postal address, Post Box 5500, to receive complaints from the
public about irregularities in the ministry's operations.
"All complaints will be followed up on," he promised at the
gathering which was also attended by ministry secretary-general
Hidayat Hardjoprawito and inspector-general Roesmono.
The students were the second group to demand reform in the
health sector. On Monday, a group of doctors and non-governmental
organization (NGO) activists demonstrated against the poor
policies which have caused medicines to rise in price.
The group also alleged that the Yayasan Harapan Kita
foundation had "looted" Harapan Kita Maternity Hospital and
Cardiac Hospital Harapan Kita on regular basis.
The foundation -- established by Ibu Tien Soeharto, the late
wife of former president Soeharto -- allegedly took billions of
rupiah from the hospitals' earnings every month. (swe)