'No money means no treatment in the hospital'

'No money means no treatment in the hospital'

The recent case of a patient sent home by a hospital because he
could not pay the full medical bill is indicative of the poor
treatment low-income people receive from the health service. A
number of people recounted their bad experiences when dealing
with hospitals to The Jakarta Post.

Haryanto, 38, is a newspaper vendor who lives in Palmerah,
West Jakarta, with his wife and three children:

I have had some very bad experiences with hospitals.

When my son had an accident and his head was severely injured,
a hospital in Central Jakarta refused to provide medical
treatment because I didn't have enough money to make the down
payment. The hospital wanted me to deposit Rp 5 million
(US$588.24).

My son was ignored until I forced the man responsible for the
accident to pay all the bills. I had to threaten to kill him in
order to save my son's life.

During his time in the emergency room, the nurses required me
to pay Rp 600,000 per day for medicine but they would not let me
see the prescriptions or the medicine. It's ridiculous!

Another nightmare was when my wife was having our youngest
child. She was in a critical condition and was bleeding
profusely.

Another hospital in Central Jakarta refused to treat her
because I could not cough up the Rp 1.5 million down payment.

I only had Rp 800,000 at the time but the hospital insisted
that I pay the deposit.

We were fortunate as my neighbors lent us some money so both
my wife and my baby's lives were saved.

I have learned that the lives of the poor are worth less than
animals. Hospitals and medical staff are merciless and they only
exploit patients, particularly the poor ones.

David, 28, is a street newspaper vendor. He resides in
Petamburan, Central Jakarta, with his wife and two children:

I had a very humiliating experience when I brought my
daughter, who was suffering from a high fever, to a hospital
which is very close to our home.

When I was there, the hospital's doctors or clerical staff, I
don't know which, forced me to pay Rp 300,000 for the down
payment although I already told them that I only had Rp 200,000.

I even begged the management to treat my daughter first and
allow me to pay later, but they refused. They said they had to
comply with the procedures.

I felt like a beggar at the time.

Then I brought my daughter to another hospital in West Jakarta
and the down payment there was only Rp 150,000, so my daughter
received treatment.

I'm really sad to have been born poor as we get nothing at all
from the hospitals.

Sarip, 23, is a resident of Petamburan, Central Jakarta, who
works as a hawker on public transportation vehicles:

I think a patient coming to the hospital in a luxury car will
get quicker medical treatment than one who arrives in a bajaj
(three-wheeled taxi).

I'm sure that hospitals don't want low income people like us.
Money really matters if you want to get quick treatment. No money
means no treatment.

Nobody in my neighborhood would ever go to a hospital to get
treatment. We always face nightmares when dealing with hospitals.

It's better to go to local community health center, which is
cheaper, than going to hospital. And if we really don't have any
money, then there's nothing else for us except death.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.