As a result of construction to renovate the site, the hospital’s emergency unit was moved to the second floor. However, there are no clear signs directing patients to the unit.

“The emergency unit used to be on the first floor and now it’s really confusing to find, which is unfortunate as the hospital services are good,” Titin, a hospital patient, said, adding that she found the unit only after asking around.

Two elevators, though in service, are prone to malfunction due to overcrowding — when there are three to four people in a single elevator at once, the elevator is detected as full and thus does not move, forcing patients to use the stairs.

“It’s quite annoying. The emergency unit is supposed to be on the first floor, and the waiting room is narrow,” said Tanti, who was waiting with her family in a narrow hallway on the second floor after taking her grandfather to the emergency unit.

As the temporary emergency unit is located next to the hemodialysis blood unit, visitors and patients must deal with crowded rooms.

The first-floor emergency unit was sealed off because off the renovations. However, there is no active construction taking place there.

Emergency rooms in the sealed off section are empty as they were stripped of medical equipment, exposing holes in walls and dusty conditions. Parts of the ceiling were also removed, leaving behind exposed wires and a sign in front of a room sealed off with plywood reads, “Room under renovation”.

“It was surveyed by the government [and found] to be unfit [for patients], that’s why renovations are under way and were moved to the second floor,” said Aditya, a hospital security guard.

The center of renovations is located at Tower A, the site of a planned 16-story, 65-room building that will connect to the side of the hospital.

Construction of the tower, which is 67 percent complete, began in 2013 with December 2018 as the targeted date of completion. The project, which cost Rp 120 billion (US$8.6 million), had seen sluggish progress under the private contractor that won the tender, Koja hospital director Ida Bagus Nyoman Banjar said.

Dissatisfied with the speed of construction, the hospital decided to terminate its agreement with the contractor and halt construction in June, he said.

“When we signed with the contractor it was in April, but the site was not properly cleared out prior to construction so they only began work in August,” Banjar said earlier this month after a meeting with the Jakarta Legislative Council.

He added there was uncertainty on whether a new contractor would be hired and said costs needed be recalculated for construction to continue.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said recently he would order the city inspectorate to seek information on the cause of the construction delay and conduct an audit to determine the necessary budget moving forward.

The issue was raised by the City Council recently in a meeting with the hospital management.

Deputy head of the council’s Commission E overseeing welfare issues, Ramly Muhammad, urged Anies to take immediate action as the stalled project had affected services and patients.

“It needs to be resolved quickly as the situation is bothering Koja hospital patients. The Jakarta administration must issue a policy to push for the completion [of renovations] this year,” Ramly said. (tru)

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