Rising drug prices blamed for drop in outpatients

JAKARTA (JP): The number of outpatients using state-run Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, which is popular among low-income Jakartans, has dropped drastically.

Only half of last year's monthly average of 25,000 patients now use the hospital's facilities, an executive said yesterday.

While no study has been conducted on the drop-off, it is believed that many people have delayed trips to the hospital for fear the cost of medicine has doubled, Zaenal Azhar, head of the outpatient unit, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the hospital began noticing the decline in July last year.

The soaring price of medicine, as well as many other goods and services here, was sparked by a dramatic drop in the value of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar which started in July.

Hospital data reveals that only 14,000 people visited the hospital last month, he said.

"In times of crisis like this, it is logical to expect the number of sick people to increase, so there should be more needy people flocking to an affordable hospital like Cipto," Zaenal said.

"So where are they going to cure their diseases?"

Cipto Mangunkusumo, the oldest hospital in the city, operates 27 public clinics which are relatively low cost compared to other hospitals here.

Zaenal said the only clinic that had recorded an increase in patients was the hospital's psychiatry clinic.

"The clinic treated 262 outpatients last month and received more in December."

Cardiology experienced the smallest decrease, he said.

"Last month, the number of patients reached 1,132. Although it's still lower than the previous total of 1,617 patients, the number is higher than those recorded in other clinics."

In order to provide better outpatient services, Zaenal said doctors at Cipto would prescribe the most effective but cheapest medicine.

"The doctors used to give additional vitamins and antibiotics but now they will only prescribe a limited amount of medicine so patients can afford to buy it.

"But we still don't know whether the patients will buy the medicine or not."

Cipto outpatients are required to pay a Rp 4,000 admission fee per visit, he said.

People with reference letters from doctors or other hospitals have to pay Rp 1,000, while admission is free for members of the state-owned Health Insurance Company (Askes). (emf)