Poor patients still have to pay: 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.