TEMPO.CO, South Tangerang - The South Tangerang administration allocated a budget to cover the cost of blood bag for its residents next year. The budget has been set through the Mayor Regulation No. 14/2017 concerning the replacement cost of blood processing.

“Actually, the plan is for 2018. If I'm not mistaken, the budget is Rp1.5 billion,” Deputy Mayor of South Tangerang, Benjamin Davnie, said after the Commemoration of the National Health Day, in the Pamulang Sub-District field, Sunday, November 25.

The South Tangerang administration through the local Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) will free the cost of blood bag specifically for residents with South Tangerang ID card.

According to Benyamin, the regulation has been made and included in the 2019 Regional Budget. He said that it is not the blood that is free, but the blood bag and the blood processing.

“What is paid is not the blood, but the blood bag. That requires cost and later the processing will go through the sophisticated equipment, that will be borne by the Regional Budget,” he said.

The South Tangerang PMI Blood Transfusion Unit Head Suhara Manulang said the free blood bag program does not apply to residents without the South Tangerang ID card. They still have to pay the price of blood Rp660,000 per bag. If they use BPJS insurance, the price is Rp360,000 per bag.

“Starting in 2019, the residents with the South Tangerang ID card do not need to pay any more. Whereas 18 private hospitals has signed the MoU,” Suhara said, explaining that the hospital that frees the cost of blood bag is the South Tangerang Regional Hospital.

MUHAMMAD KURNIANTO