President Jokowi Laments People Seeking Medical Treatment Abroad
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10 August 2022 20:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in a press broadcast on Thursday said that he is often saddened by the fact that some Indonesians seek medical treatment overseas. He highlighted the potential money circulation that goes abroad which can reach hundreds of trillions of rupiah.
“I am most sad when I hear that our citizens who are ill then seek [treatment] abroad to Malaysia, Singapore, and some even go to Japan and America,” said the President in his statement aired by the Presidential Secretariate’s Youtube channel on August 10.
Widodo claimed that the money circulation from Indonesians who travel abroad specifically for healthcare services reaches Rp110 trillion. West Kalimantan is one of the regions that have more people getting treated abroad. “Specifically West Kalimantan, I heard there are many who go to Kucing [Malaysia],” said the President.
He lamented the fact that the central government had already funded a new hospital named Dr. Soedarso General Hospital (RSUD) which was just inaugurated by the President on Tuesday.
“It cost Rp205 billion [for physical infrastructure], and the healthcare equipment cost at least in the area of Rp200 billion. This is what we call mutual cooperation to settle the money we have to spend because our hospitals are not ready,” he recalled.
The newly introduced general hospital has 277 beds, surgery facilities, and modern-standard ICU facilities. “I don’t think we should go abroad [for medical treatment], we are already prepared and can sufficiently handle existing cases now,” Jokowi encouraged.
M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH
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