http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/editorials/editorial-indonesias-health-care-system-on-life-support/392067
Editorial: Indonesia's Health Care System on Life Support August 20, 2010 Indonesia's health care system is in dire need of a major overhaul but it is clear that the government does not have the financial muscle, the human resources or the political will needed to do so. Even though the national health budget for 2011 has been raised, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih has acknowledged that it was not enough to address the country's various health issues. The government has proposed in its draft budget for 2011 to boost the allocation to the Health Ministry by 26 percent to Rp 26.2 trillion from Rp 20.8 trillion ($2.9 billion from $2.3 billion) this year. The truth of the matter is that the health care industry needs basic foundational as well as structural changes. More importantly, there needs to be a mind-set shift within the government on how the health care industry should be managed. Indonesia requires a per-capita spending of $600 per year on health care in order to provide adequate and quality care. Currently, however, the government is only able to allocate $70 per person annually, a huge deficit for social and health care services. It is crystal clear that the government does not possess the funds to meet its obligations. The solution must be to empower the private sector to plug the gap. The government must allow the market mechanism to operate in the health care sector if we are to see a dramatic improvement in the quality of medical care. There is a great need to increase efficiency and productivity within the sector while reducing waste and corruption. The goal must be to maximize the spending on health care. The government must get a bang for its buck if it is to make a difference and the only way it can achieve this is by introducing competition and privatizing the health care sector. Just throwing more money at an existing inefficient public sector is not going to solve the problem. In fact, it will is doing just the opposite - increasing waste and inefficiency. There are too many giveaways and political promises by the government, not just in health care but in many other sectors. Such policies create demand without increasing supply. The public health care sector is chronically below capacity in all areas - beds, doctors and nurses and specialists. By improving the health care system through privatizing state hospitals, the overall quality of care will improve. By liberalizing the sector and allowing foreign doctors to practice side by side with Indonesian physicians, the government will also be able to address the huge foreign exchange loss from Indonesians seeking medical care abroad. It is time for a dramatic change in the direction of health care. State hospitals can provide world-class care if they are properly run and managed. Patients will be willing to pay for top quality care if it is available. The question is, does the government have the courage to make these changes? [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]