People ask for cheap medical bills

People ask for cheap medical bills

TANGERANG (JP): The local regency's Social Services Office
receives three to five people a day who ask for letters
recommending they be given discounts on medical treatment.

The office's chief, Teddy Djarkasih, said on Friday that the
letters, however, only explain that the bearers come from poor
families and suggest the hospitals give a reduction on a
patient's medical bills.

The decision is then totally up to the hospitals' management,
he said.

Between April last year and March, his office issued at least
153 letters in an effort to help needy families cope with the
prolonged economic crisis and the skyrocketing costs of medical
treatment, Teddy said.

He estimated that the number of applicants would reach 240 by
the end of this year.

The recommendation letters are addressed to state-owned
hospitals, including Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Harapan
Kita Hospital, Fatmawati Hospital and Gatot Subroto Army
Hospital. (41/jun)