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Jakarta hospitals face perennial problems
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Motorcyclists ride pass Mintoharjo Navy Hospital in Central Jakarta on June 1, 2017. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
D
espite the mushrooming of private hospitals in the capital, hospitals across Jakarta deal with perennial problems, such as long wait times and limited services, an association has said.
“The problem that should be prioritized is the long wait times, especially in polyclinics and for planned-surgery services,” said Jakarta Metropolitan Hospital Association deputy head Rahmat Mulyana Mamet on Wednesday.
The capital’s hospitals also need more intensive care unit (ICU) rooms to cater to the needs of patients seeking emergency treatment.
“Hospitals in Jakarta do not serve Jakartans only, but also people from across the country, even people from as far as Sumatra who seek medical treatment at hospitals here. So, demand for ICU rooms remains high,” he added.
Rahmat said to solve the problem of limited ICU rooms in Jakarta alone, hospitals needed to work together.
“As of now, to solve the problem, directors of hospitals in Jakarta rely on group chats through WhatsApp to communicate. So, when a hospital is full, its director will ask for help through the WhatsApp group to accommodate patients,” he said.
However, Rahmat said the current system lacked effectiveness. He suggested that Jakarta establish an integrated waiting system involving hospitals in the city that could accommodate patients that registered online. Through the system, patients would be informed about the space available in hospitals across Jakarta and be given a wait number. (roi)
