US$300m spent on medical services abroad: Official

US$300m spent on medical services abroad: Official

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Due to less qualified medical services at home, Indonesians spend
US$300 million on overseas medical services each year, an
official says.

Ministry of Health medical services director Hardiman said
nothing could be done to reduce the expenditure but to improve
the medical services of hospitals in the country.

It was not clear how he came up with the figure.

He made the statement during his visit to a public hospital,
RSUD, in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Saturday during a ceremony to
mark the upgrade of its status to a Type B hospital from a Type
C.

Hardiman suggested that all hospitals in the country provide
better medical services with cheaper prices, faster service, and
modern facilities.

Besides, all patients must be given the opportunity to choose
their own doctors to avoid long queues and that hospital
management must understand the needs of their customers.

"Indeed, hospital administrations must also think about how to
work out parking problems. Long queues of cars must be avoided,"
he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Meanwhile, Sleman deputy regent Zaelani said the development
and the advancement of the public hospital in the regency was a
response to the challenge from the regional administration as
well as the local people.

He said local people had been demanding modern medical
facilities and services at affordable prices. The upgrade of the
hospital's status was expected to have fulfilled the demand of
the people, he said.

Hospital director Endang Puji Astuti, meanwhile, said it had
been a Type C hospital since 1998. It now employs 288 staff.

The number of patients who get medical services at the
hospital was 90,000 people per year.

The presence of many modern, well-managed, and air-conditioned
private hospitals is another challenge for the state-owned
hospitals.