Patients deserve better meal, councilors say

Patients deserve better meal, councilors say

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors expressed concern on Thursday
over the slight increase in the meal allowance at public
institutions in the city from Rp 2,000 per patient per day at
present to Rp 3,000 per patient in the 1999/2000 city draft
budget.

The allocation of Rp 3,000 per patient is far below the Rp
7,500 daily allotment for each animal at the at the city-owned
Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, they said.

The head of Commission E for social welfare, Soeparmo, said
his commission would fight for an increase in the meal allowance
to at least Rp 5,000 per person per day.

"Actually, we wanted the allocation to be increased to Rp
7,500, but we then lowered it after we realized it would be too
difficult for the city administration to meet the request," he
said.

Deputy head of the United Development Party faction Ali Imran
Husein said that if the administration failed to increase the
meal allowance, it indicate a disrespect for humanity.

"I think it (the gap between meal allowances for animals and
human beings) is an insult to human dignity. I hope the
administration will make a revision," he said.

In the 1999/2000 draft budget, the administration has
allocated Rp 3.29 billion for meal allowances at the city's 21
public institutions in the city, which include orphanages,
psychiatric centers and nursing homes. The 21 institutions are
under the auspices of the city social services agency.

By comparison, the draft budget allots Rp 2.75 billion in meal
allowances to more than 4,000 animals at the city's only zoo.

Soeparmo said the Rp 3,000 food allowance for breakfast, lunch
and dinner was far from enough, especially with the sharp
increase in food prices.

Less appetizing meals are now given to patients at the
institutions due to the soaring prices of essential goods,
especially after the massive riots in May which resulted in a
drop in donors.

Due to increased costs, several institutions have been forced
to change their menus so that patients are served only tempeh,
tofu and rice. Fish, eggs and vegetables were removed from the
menu several months ago.

Former social services agency head Emon Setia Sumantri said
that if there was no improvement, managements feared they would
be forced to serve patients only two meals a day instead of
three. (ind)