COVID-19 Budget Absorption; Health Minister Faces DPR Hearing

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto on Wednesday, July 15, faced the House of Representatives (DPR) budget committee (Banggar) upon reporting the ministry’s budget absorption, or specifically the lack of. 

One of the aspects in the ministry’s budget that caught the House’s attention is the hospital bill payment on COVID-19 cases and the compensation for healthcare workers that perished due to the virus. 

“[As for the hospital bill], if the [budget] absorption does not meet the target it would mean that the number of patients is also small. The budget absorption for medical workers’ compensation also means that the deaths are not as many. This is what differentiates [the two compared to other aspects in the budget],” said Health Minister Terawan in Wednesday’s hearing with the House Banggar. 

Terawan asserts that high budget absorption for hospital bills correlates with the number of patients that are treated, likewise with compensations on the death of healthcare workers. The Health Minister maintained that he is particularly cautious in paying hospital bills to avoid “moral hazards.” 

However, Terawan said that he will push for healthcare workers to be incentivized based on a budget allocation of Rp5.6 trillion. 

“We will fight for better budget absorption, but we will not detach from the affordability aspect and the effectiveness of the absorbed budget,” said Terawan. However, he assures that the Health Ministry under his guidance will continue to “fulfill the hopes of leaders and members of the public.”

Previously reported, the Ministry of Finance announced that the budget absorption in the field of healthcare had only reached 5.12 percent out of a total budget of Rp87.55 trillion prepared to handle COVID-19 cases. 

Related coverage: Sri Mulyani: Health Budget Not Sole Liability of Health Ministry

CAESAR AKBAR | FAJAR PEBRIANTO