Poor patients still forced to pay medical bills: UPC
Poor patients still forced to pay medical bills: UPC
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite the nationwide policy of providing free medical treatment
to poor dengue fever patients, some hospitals continue to charge
poor patients, according to an investigation by the Urban Poor
Consortium (UPC).
The non-governmental organization, working with the Jakarta
Pedicab Association and the Jakarta Poor Residents Network, found
the hospitals were charging poor dengue patients for stays in
third-class wards, in violation of the announced government
policy.
In a statement on Saturday, the Urban Poor Consortium said its
investigation from March 8 to March 16 found that at the state-
owned Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta, the parents of a
two-year-old dengue patient had to pay Rp 680,000 (US$80) for
three days of treatment in the third-class ward.
Another patient at the same hospital was reportedly charged Rp
800,000 for a three-day stay in the third-class ward. When the
family of the patient showed hospital administrators a letter
issued by the local administration to impoverished families,
which should have entitled them to free treatment, the patient's
family was required to pay half the original cost.
At Suliyanti Saroso Hospital for Infectious Diseases in North
Jakarta, parents of a 14-month-old dengue patient had to pay Rp
70,000 for needles.
However, after negotiations with hospital staff, the parents
were allowed to pay Rp 30,000 but without a receipt from the
hospital.
The UPC said there were 13 similar cases where poor dengue
fever patients had to pay for treatment.
Jakarta Health Agency spokeswoman Evy Zelfino said the agency
had not received any complaints regarding poor dengue patients
being required to pay for treatment.
"If there is a case where a dengue fever patient has to pay
for a stay in the third-class ward, the patient should report
this to us, along with all the necessary information like
hospital receipts and their identity cards," Evy told The Jakarta
Post on Saturday.
She said if the agency received any such reports, it would
check the complaint directly with the accused hospital.
Evy could not say what kind of action the agency would take
against hospitals found to be charging dengue patients for
treatment in the third-class wards.
"It is impossible for us to check up on all of the hospitals
every day ... we have to rely on the reputations of the
hospitals. They should provide great service for poor families in
order to maintain their good names," Evy said.