Well-off people asked to help fund operation of cancer hospital

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday made a passionate appeal to wealthy Indonesians to help fund the operation of the Dharmais Cancer Hospital in Jakarta.

Soeharto, in his capacity as chairman of the Dharmais Foundation which helped found the facility, said the hospital has been operating at a loss because many patients have not been able to pay for the expensive treatments.

The hospital, billed as the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, was inaugurated last October. Built at a cost of some Rp 100 billion ($53 million), ownership of the hospital was turned over to the Ministry of Health although the foundation has continued to be responsible for its management, including fundraising.

The first

It is the first and only cancer hospital in Indonesia and its construction was timely, as cancer has become the third most lethal disease in Indonesia after infection and heart disease.

Soeharto said the hospital needs Rp 14 billion for its operations during the 1994-95 year, while its income is expected to only reach Rp 5 billion. The Ministry of Health is contributing Rp 6 million and the foundation has to raise the other Rp 3 billion.

The President did not have any trouble finding willing donors.

A total of 21 wealthy tycoons enlisted and their contributions were officially acknowledged by the President during a short ceremony at the hospital yesterday.

All 21 were named as the hospital's honorary donors.

"In return, they and their relatives can receive free treatment here," Soeharto said to the laughter of the audience. "They will be well taken care off."

The list of 21 donors almost read like a who's who of Indonesian conglomerates. They are and his wife Sulastri, Didi Darwis, Saiman Ernawan, Henry Pribadi, Prayogo Pangestu, Herlina Tjandi Negara Pangestu, Seung Eun Ho, Adijanto, Sunaryo Priosoetanto, Martias, Mohamad Hasan and his wife Pertiwi, Soedono Salim (Liem Sioe Liong), Andree Halim, Anthony Salim, Usman Admadjaja, Agus Sutanto, Burhan Uray, Alex Korompis and Ripin Tjitra.

All but four were present at the ceremony yesterday.

Soeharto said the hospital cannot yet finance its entire operation and still needs to be subsidized.

The hospital is also planning to expand its facility from 100 to 300 rooms and this means recruiting more doctors.

At the moment, the facility employs 722 people, including 116 medical specialists, nine general practitioners and three dentists. (emb)