New status for Cardiac Center

New status for Cardiac Center

JAKARTA: After three years under government control, Harapan
Kita Cardiac Center has been transformed into a nonprofit state
company (Perjan).

Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi officiated the hospital's new
status last weekend, which coincided with its 16th anniversary.

He said the upgrading aimed at cutting bureaucracy and
enhancing the hospital's efficiency.

"With the new status, the hospital will be able to operate on
its own with unlimited operation policy and budget allocation.
The government, however, will still inject subsidies, especially
for the poor," he said.

According to the director of the cardiac center, Aulia Sani,
the hospital spent around Rp 10 billion (about US$1 million) in
subsidies for the poor last year.

Aulia added that with the new status, the hospital would have
more freedom to sell itself, including placing advertisements in
the media -- a practice not allowed under the previous status.

With such active promotion and marketing, the hospital aims to
become one of the prominent cardiac centers in the region, Aulia
said. -- JP