VP, Sutiyoso discuss hospital status

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Vice President Jusuf Kalla summoned Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso on Thursday to discuss his decision to convert three city-run hospitals into profit-oriented companies.

Sutiyoso was accompanied by Minister of Health Siti Fadillah Supari, who had urged the city administration to cancel its plan to corporatize the Cengkareng hospital in West Jakarta, Pasar Rebo hospital in East Jakarta and the Haj hospital, also in East Jakarta.

Briefing the press after the meeting, Sutiyoso claimed that the central government supported the city administration's move to commercialize the three city-owned hospitals.

"The Vice President now understands the change of status of the three hospitals after learning that it will not affect their services to poor families," Sutiyoso said.

Aside from Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari, Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Ma'ruf had also opposed the change of status of the three hospitals, fearing that with their new status they would not be able to carry out their social missions.

The change also met with strong opposition from employees of the three hospitals.

They argued that with their new status, the hospitals would be required to make profits and would not receive subsidies from the city budget.

Sutiyoso, however, has stood by his decision, saying that the corporatization of the three hospitals was in line with a decree issued by the Ministry of Health in 2002.

He did not give details of the decree, saying only that it requires pilot projects for hospital commercialization in three provinces -- Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Aceh.

According to the governor, his administration had been readying the change of status since 2002.

He stressed that the change would not affect services to poor families.

Giving an example, Sutiyoso said that the charge for a bed in a class 3 ward of Cengkareng hospital was only Rp 20,000 per day.

"The standard charge for a bed in a third class ward in Cengkareng hospital should be Rp 90,000 per bed per day," he said, adding that poor families would receive subsidies from the city budget.

The corporatization of the three hospitals was kicked off in early January. The changes of the hospitals' status had been approved by the previous City Council during the final days of their term.

A number of councillors are now seeking to have the policy annulled.