WORKERS TO HAVE HOSPITAL AS "GIFT" ON INDEPENDENCE DAY by Fardah

    Jakarta, Feb 25, 2013 (Antara) - When the Indonesian people will celebrate the country's Independence Day on August 17 this year, blue-collar workers are expected to receive "a special gift" by having their own hospital.

        "A special hospital for workers is expected to be ready on August 17, 2013, coinciding with the commemoration of Indonesia's Independence Day," State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said in Jakarta recently when inaugurating the groundbreaking of the construction of the hospital for laborers.

        "The idea to build a hospital for laborers at an industrial zone came from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when he visited Batam some time ago. Now it is being realized," Minister Dahlan Iskan said.   
    President Yudhoyono once said even the country's soldiers have their own hospital, why blue-collar workers and their family members could not have a hospital of their own, Dahlan said.

        "The president will inaugurate this hospital if it is ready before August 17, 2013," he said, adding that the hospital's construction work is expected to take six months.

        The hospital is being built at Nusantara Bonded Zone (KBN) in Cakung, North Jakarta, and is expected to give medical services to workers in that industrial zone in particular and the public in general.

        The hospital is being constructed with the coordination of several state-owned enterprises, namely PT Jamsostek, PT Askes, PT Binakarya, PT Nindya Karya, and PT Indrakarya.

         "Workers holding a Jamsostek card will be able to use this facility," Dahlan said. "Residents can also use the facility by using their Jamkesmas or Jamkesda cards," he added referring to various state-run health insurance programs.

         Pelni Hospital belonging to the national shipping company, will run the daily operation of the hospital for workers.

         Having no VIP room, the hospital is being constructed on a 3,652 m2 plot of land with funds deriving from state-owned enterprises' CSR program, KBN President Director Sattar Taba said.

          The construction is estimated to cost Rp65 billion, the purchases of medical equipment Rp40 billion, while the
contingency funds to buy two ambulance and pay consultants Rp5 billion.

         The hospital's specification will include C+ class medical services, medical supporting services, non-medical
supporting services, emergency unit, outpatient and inpatient treatments, intensive unit care, surgery services.

          Its medical supporting facilities will include a laboratory, physiotherapy, radiology and medical record units. While for non-medical facilities are among other things a pharmacy, nutrition unit, laundry unit, ambulances, and a mortuary.

        The size of the eight-story building will be 9,000 m2, and the hospital will have 184 beds of the second class category.

        The construction will follow a green concept to help preserve the environment and speed up patients' recovery. 
   Besides in Jakarta, the government has also planned to build similar hospitals in other regions in Indonesia.

         On the eve of May 1, 2012, President Yudhoyono announced the "special gifts" for Indonesian workers when workers all over the world, including in Indonesia, celebrated May Day or International Labour Day.

        "This year is very special for Indonesian workers because the president has issued a number of strategic decrees to promote their living standard," said Daniel Sparingga, the president`s special aide for political communication, in a press statement on April 30 last year.

        The strategic decrees, regarded as the president`s "special gifts" to Indonesian workers, include plans to construct hospitals, low-cost houses and affordable rented flats that are close to the workplace for workers, as well as an addition of 200 buses to facilitate transport for them.

         "Starting next year, hospitals for workers will be built in cities which have many industries, such as Tangerang, Bekasi and Surabaya," Sparingga announced.

          The Public Housing Ministry earlier planned to build three hospitals for workers in the Jabodetabek industrial area.

         In fact, the ministry intended to build five hospitals instead of three, if the existing funds of Rp200 billion permit.

          "So the hospitals will be in Bekasi, Karawang, Tangerang, Jakarta and Bogor. But first, we have to see," Public Housing Minister Djan Faridz said in May 2012.

        The minister noted that the priority services for the planned hospitals will include emergency units to treat work-related accidents in the industrial areas.

         The hospital managements will work closely with the state workers` insurance company PT Jamsostek in the hospitals` operation, medical treatment and medical treatment costs.

         "The hospitals will operate using Jamsostek (manpower insurance) fees. The medical costs will be paid monthly to the hospitals. We just handle the construction," the minister stated last year.

          The construction of the first hospital for workers in Jakarta is inspired by a similar facility available for workers in the Batam industrial zone, Riau Island Province. ***4***
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(T.F001/A/F. Assegaf/Suharto) 25-02-2013 20:34:15