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)