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