Fire halts RSCM’s haemodialysis

A fire that gutted part of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital’s Central Medical Unit on Monday morning has forced the hospital to redirect patients who need haemodialysis to two other hospitals located nearby.

The Jakarta Health Agency said that all haemodialysis patients would be transferred and redirected to privately-owned Rawamangun and Harapan Jayakarta Hospitals, both in East Jakarta.

Yuditha, the agency’s regional health care unit head, said on Monday that all services for low-income patients would remain available and would not be disrupted despite the relocation.

“We have coordinated with the partner hospitals; I can assure all low-income patients covered by the administration that they will be treated well,” she said.

The official said free and cheap haemodialysis services would remain available for patients covered under either the Jamkesda regional health care insurance program, the city’s free health care scheme for the impoverished (Gakin) or relief letters (SKTM).

The general hospital will also cover the transfer expenses for patients who were already registered for haemodialysis on Monday.

A fire gutted the 8th floor of the Central Medical Unit on Monday morning at around 7 a.m., forcing the hospital’s management to evacuate patients to other parts of the medical facility. No casualties were reported.

Central Jakarta Fire Department chief Achmad Lamping said the floor was like a closed room, causing the smoke to spread quickly.

“The [fire fighting] officers opened all the windows to reduce the smoke,” Achmad said. The firefighters evacuated the 8th and 9th floor following the accident.

The fire burned several beds and dialysis machines. It took fire fighters in 14 fire trucks half an hour to extinguish the fire. The 8th floor housed the hospital’s treatment center for patients with kidney failure, hypertension and those who need haemodialysis.

The general hospital’s director, Akmal Taher, said the damaged floor would be repaired immediately.

“We expect that repair work will be completed in five or six days and all facilities and services will return to normal by next week,” Akmal said.

He said the hospital suffered at least Rp 1 billion (US$112,000) worth of damages. Akmal added that the losses excluded damaged equipment.

The Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital is the largest state-owned hospital in the country, and is the national referral hospital. The hospital has more than 23 specialist clinics.

The hospital also adjoins two University of Indonesia schools: the School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry.

In the past few years, the hospital has recorded an average of 2,000 outpatients per day, 60 to 70 percent of whom were patients from low-income families.