Hospitals Demand Payment of Rp 13.9 Trillion in Arrears

Several hospitals are critical. Hospital authorities have demanded that the government, as the bearer of all the costs of COVID-19-related services, accelerate the payment of the bills.

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

A nurse feeds a Covid-19 patient at a hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, Monday (14/6/2021). All costs of hospital services for Covid-19 patients are the responsibility of the government.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Hospital bills for the treatment of COVID-19 patients – amounting to Rp 13.9 trillion in arrears as of Wednesday – have yet to be settled, and hospital authorities have demanded that the government, as the bearer of all the costs of COVID-19-related services, accelerate the payment of the bills.

While hailing an improved process for paying hospital claims in 2020, including the payment of the arrears, Indonesian Hospital Association (Persi) health security service head Daniel Wibowo, when contacted from Jakarta on Wednesday, urged the government to speed up the payment process futher, considering the bleeding cash flow at a number of hospitals.