Students rally following death of rejected hospital patient

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Wed, 06/15/2011

Dozens of students from Jaringan Mahasiswa Peduli Tangerang (Jampat) staged a rally at Tangerang General Hospital (RSUD) on Wednesday following the death of a poor patient who was turned away by hospital management.

“Tangerang residents are banned from being sick because the multipurpose card the municipal administration distributed to residents as free access to health and educational services are useless. This statement is true,” student Irfansah said.

The students asked Health Minister Endang rahayu Sedyaningsih to support the rights of poor residents to get medical treatment. They also asked the Tangerang municipal administration to look into why the cards were useless.

“We also ask the administration not to produce multipurpose cards just to have a positive image,” Irfan said.

According to the students, in May the hospital let Maryati, 56, a resident of Nusa Jaya subdistrict in Karawaci die because the Maryati’s family could not pay for her treatment fees at the hospital even though they possessed one of the multipurpose cards.

“This time, human tragedy repeats itself in Tangerang. The hospital rejected Linda Wahyunignsih, 21, a resident of North Poris Plawad subdistrict, Cipondoh, who died on Monday after suffering from a womb infection after she delivered a baby at the hospital on May 23,” he said.

Linda, who also had a multipurpose card, was rushed to the hospital on Monday morning but hospital management turned her down because she did not fulfill the administrative requirements.  

RSUD spokesperson Ahmad Nazir said Linda, who was admitted to the hospital on May 23 to deliver a baby, booked the “Anyelir B” treatment room that cost Rp 97,000 (US$11.35) per day.

“Referring to the treatment room she had booked, we believed that the patient was not from a poor family as they are usually treated in economy class that costs Rp 25,000 per day here,” he said.