At 90, RSCM aiming to keep treatments special

Adisti Sukma Sawitri ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 11/26/2009 1:28 PM  |  Headlines

Ninety years after its foundation, Central Jakarta's Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) has become recognized as one of the best hospitals in Indonesia, but is still lacking in terms of service.

Hospital director Akmal Taher said he hoped the referral system among Indonesia's hospitals could be improved so the hospital could better serve "tertiary" patients in need of specialist treatment.

"The hospital is really overcrowded. We have to find ways to reduce the number of primary and secondary patients," he said at the hospital's 90th birthday ceremony on Wednesday.

Akmal said as a first step he was working to coordinate better with other health facilities in Jakarta.

RSCM has made countless advancements to medical science, and boasts top clinics for a wide range of ailments - from diabetic feet to pathology analysis.

It has also carried out several breakthrough operations, including Indonesia's first bone marrow transplant.

Over the past few years, RSCM has seen an average of 2,000 outpatients a day, two-thirds of whom were from low-income families. With a total capacity of 900 beds, it admits around 4,000 patients a year.

Over 90 years, RSCM has just got "cleaner", Indonesian Healthcare Consumers Foundation chief Marius Widjajarta said.

However, the concentration of top specialists meant it needed to improve the referral system, which required more than just cooperation, he said.

To make this possible, the government must reform Indonesia's healthcare financing system, Marius said.

"Currently, doctors are paid per patient visit. We should use the insurance system, whereby doctors are paid a minimum wage - with or without patients," he said.

Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, who also attended the ceremony, said she still received complaints that treatments at RSCM were too expensive.

"I heard that this hospital is planning to open an International Wing offering first-class medical services. I hope every wing of this hospital offers world-class service," she said.

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