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Specialist doctors strike over unpaid honoraria in Batam
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No service: Workers go about their daily activities at the Embung Fatimah Regional General Hospital in Batam, Riau Islands, recently. The hospital's specialist doctors went on strike on Monday to protest what they said were unpaid honoraria and incentives. (Tribunnews.com/File)
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ll specialist doctors working at the Embung Fatimah Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Batam, Riau Islands, went on strike on Monday to protest against the Batam administration, which they claim has yet to pay their medical service honoraria and incentives.
For a whole day, the hospital’s specialist polyclinics had to stop accepting patients, as no doctor was on duty. Several patients who had come to the hospital were forced to go to other hospitals.
“There is no doctor at the internist polyclinic. Maybe we have to go to a private hospital,” said Ajank, one of the patients.
During the protest, specialist doctors chose to stay in the front yard of the hospital, displaying banners expressing their discontent about payments they say are outstanding since September 2016.
Specialist doctor Dewi P. said she and other doctors had repeatedly asked the hospital director about their honoraria.
“Our medical service honoraria have not been paid for a long time. We never received a clear response whenever we pressed for the payment of the honoraria. The [RSUD Embung Fatimah] director never provided a solution,” said Dewi.
Batam Health Agency head Didi Kusumajadi admitted that honoraria payments were outstanding, as the administration was waiting for clarity on new regulations, but said the incentives had already been paid.
Medical service honoraria of the doctors amount to more than Rp 5 million (US$374.56) per month per doctor on average. Meanwhile, the incentives range from Rp 25 million to Rp 30 million per specialist per month. (ebf)
