Hospital denies neglecting patients

Triwik Kurniasari , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 07/19/2008 11:02 AM | City

Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) in Salemba, Central Jakarta, denied an allegation it had neglected dozens of patients, saying they were outpatients without money to pay transportation expenses.

"They used to spend the night in one of our buildings, which is currently under renovation, without the hospital management's permission. They are outpatients and they shouldn't stay in the building," RSCM director Dr. Akmal Taher said Friday.

"We asked them to vacate the building two weeks ago because their presence had caused sanitary problems which might affect other patients. But they ignored it," he said.

He said the patients chose to stay in the building because they did not have enough money to pay transportation expenses back and forth between home and hospital.

"We did not neglect these patients. Our doctors considered them healthy enough not to be hospitalized but they preferred to stay in the building, perhaps because they can have free water and electricity here," Akmal said.

He also said there were 26 people, most of whom were patients' relatives, correcting newspaper reports asserting there were 50 patients.

Earlier this week, some local papers reported RSCM had neglected dozens of patients who were mostly referred by local hospitals around the country.

The patients and their relatives are now staying at the Jakarta Legal Aid (LBH Jakarta) office, about 100 meters from RSCM.

LBH Jakarta has reported RSCM to the National Human Rights Commission.

A 75-year-old patient, Arifin Sukri, who had just undergone prostate surgery, said he had gone to RSCM three times this month from his home in Rangkasbitung, West Java, to get medical treatment. He was seen carrying a catheter.

"The Rangkasbitung hospital referred my husband to RSCM because the local hospital does not have proper medical equipment to him," Eti, Arifin's husband, told The Jakarta Post.

"The RSCM doctor said my husband was healthy enough to be an outpatient. I actually prefer him to be hospitalized because going back and forth to Jakarta is too costly for us.

"We rented a car to take us to RSCM due to my husband's condition. One way cost us Rp 500,000. So far, we have spent more than Rp 1.5 million just for transportation expenses," she said.

Another patient, Fahruri, who suffers from renal failure, also said he did not have money for transportation from his home in Bekasi.

"I usually take a taxi to take my husband to RSCM. It costs more than Rp 300,000 return. That is a lot of money for us. I work in a garment firm and only earn about Rp 200,000 per month," said Sri, Fahruri's husband.

Akmal said he did not want to promise anything to the patients.

"We have a shelter where they can stay for free, but it won't be enough to accommodate them all since it only has 84 beds. We will try to put them on the shelter's waiting list," he said and hoped there would be more shelters in the city to help patients.

There are still only a few such shelters in the capital, including Rumah Kita (Our home) in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.

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