Rising drug prices blamed for drop in outpatients

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)