Cipto, smaller hospitals to share patients

Tifa Asrianti ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 03/17/2008 12:07 PM  |  City

Six city-owned hospitals will start taking on patients from public hospital Cipto Mangunkusumo, most of whom do not need the advanced facilities it offers, its president director said.

The city-owned hospitals of Koja, Tarakan, Pasar Rebo, Budhi Asih, Duren Sawit and Cengkareng, and Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital will start distributing patients evenly among them, President director of Cipto Mangunkusumo, Akmal Taher said.

Of the patients treated at Cipto, 90 percent came to the hospital without a referral, and could access similar treatment at any of the city-owned hospitals, Akmal said.

Only 10 percent of patients need the medical technology Cipto provides, he said.

"If the local hospitals can handle patients' cases, we'll advise them to go there. The medical costs at local hospitals are lower than at my hospital, so it will benefit the patients too," Akmal said.

Cooperation between hospitals will also allow paramedics and medical experts from the seven facilities to share their specialist knowledge with each other, he said.

"We hope we can start working together by 2009."

Budhi Asih Hospital medical service division head, Hamonangan Sirait, said the 225-bed hospital supported the plan because it would help its patients receive treatment faster.

"We usually only refer 1 percent of our patients to other hospitals in East Jakarta, such as Pasar Rebo and Persahabatan. If we can treat the illness, we will keep the patients here," he said.

Medical service deputy director of Koja Hospital, Carolina Sulaksito, said while her hospital supported the plan, most patients in the 315-bed hospital preferred to stay there.

"Most patients in this area are poor. They look for medication at Koja Hospital because it's the nearest hospital to their homes. The others are too far, they can't afford the transportation fees," she said.

Both Budhi Asih and Koja hospials transfer patients whose illnesses require advanced medical technology, such as for heart or thorax surgery, their spokespeople said.

Patients at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital seek treatment there for several reasons.

A South Jakarta resident, Budi, said his family came directly to the hospital because the health insurance company recommended it for his grandfather's heart operation.

Siti Nuraini, of Cibubur, West Java, took her mother-in-law, Amseh, to Cipto Mangunkusumo to be treated for cervical cancer, after trying both Fatmawati and Pasar Rebo hospitals.

"Cipto may have good equipment, but the application process is too difficult," Siti, who had to be at the hospital by 7 am to arrange assistance funding for the operation, said.

Bekasi resident, Rosi, said she had consulted a health center and Bekasi Hospital before asking to be referred to Cipto Mangunkusumo.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer so I want to get a quick response. With the equipment this hospital has, I hope I can recover quickly," Rosi said.

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