Influx of Indon patients a monetary worry for Jakarta

Star: PENANG: Major private hospitals here are enjoying a continued influx of Indonesians seeking medical treatment.
However, officials in the neighbouring country are concerned over the outflow of currency from their country.
A doctor from one of the seven leading private hospitals here involved in health tourism said Indonesian officials had recently called him to seek his permission to interview some of his patients from Medan.
Another doctor said the number of people from Medan seeking medical treatment here had shown drastic increase over the last few years as the health facilities in Indonesia were unable to cope with the demand.
He said his hospital, which handled about 200 foreigners seeking medical treatment registered about 15,000 foreigners monthly last year, mainly Indonesian patients.
“The drastic influx may have irked the neighbouring country. But Penang private hospitals will still continue to offer good medical treatment to all,” he said.
The Star had recently reported that private hospitals in Penang had captured about 70% of the more than RM150mil from health tourism nationwide in 2004.
Last year, about 10,000 foreign patients checked into the hospitals in the state monthly and spent an estimated RM100mil.
With the increasing number, Penang Tourism Council initiated the Penang Health Group early last year, comprising seven major private hospitals providing medical treatment to foreigners, to jointly promote health tourism.
Indonesian vice-consul (information and socio-cultural affairs) here Oktavia Maludin said: “Although, we do not object to Indonesians seeking medical treatment here, we are actually a little bit worried over the massive entry. It is quite natural, isn’t it?”
However, she said the Indonesian government had not issued any official directive to check the outflow.
She made weekly visits to the major private hospitals here to check on problems faced by Indonesian patients, she said in an interview yesterday.
With a massive population, the Indonesian government could not afford to provide adequate medical treatment to all, she added.