Consumables in Polman, Patients Are Ordered to Buy in Makassar

Polman, Sulbarkita.com -- The lack of medical supplies and the late payment of BPJS Health made one of the Patients Behind (PRB) patients with Diabetes Mellitus named Mukarramah, 55 years must wait for service at Polewali Mandar Regional General Hospital (RSUD). The condition was worsened when the Polewali Mandar Health BPJS advised these patients to buy insulin at the BPJS partner pharmacy in Makassar City, South Sulawesi.

The child of the patient, Zulkarnain complained about the BPJS policy. Because he said, the cost of medical treatment for his mother was swollen because he had to spend on transportation costs to Makassar. "I was referred to taking drugs at a pharmacy in Makassar but the travel costs were not covered, I had to use personal fees," he said.

But said Zulkarnain, BPJS Health argued because it could not guarantee the availability of insulin at the pharmacy. "I have asked the BPJS, is the drug available in Makassar? He replied, just try to go there first, because in Makassar City there are many hospitals, especially large hospitals, if there are not necessarily here," he said.

Despite his disappointment, Zulkarnain hopes BPJS Kesehatan prepares insulin at Polman. Moreover, patients with sugar disease must immediately get insulin, because if it is too late the patient will experience seizure seizures. "We routinely pay BPJS health contributions, and now we are directed to Makassar to take medicine. We don't think about costs, the important thing is the medicine is there," he said.

Confirmed separately, the Head of Human Resources and Communication, Health BPJS Branch Polewali Mandar, Imran Hasyim confirmed that there were patients with sugar disease who were advised to take drugs in Makassar. According to him, the policy was issued because the BPJS partner pharmacy in Pinrang Regency, South Sulawesi ran out of insulin so it was directed to Makassar City.

Imran argued, his party had sought the drug. However, the patient does not want to wait for the drug delivery from Pinrang. "The patient is urgent and does not want to wait, even though we have been trying to procure medicines. So one of my friends said, if you want to hurry, go straight to Makassar," Imran told Sulbarkita.com, when found in his room Thursday, January 24, 2019.

According to Imran, the BPJS Kesehatan office has now been transformed into a temporary pharmacy after the issuance of a circular letter from the Polewali Mandar Hospital that no longer serves the needs of medicine for outpatients (PRJ). "Here we accept the recipe, then we order medicine at the Kimia Farma Pinrang Pharmacy. After that, the patient waits for a maximum of three days but sometimes it is also sent quickly," he said.

Andi Ibrahim Threatens Not to Pay BPJS

Polewali Mandar District Head, Andi Ibrahim Masdar said that the health BPJS was unable to handle the Polman community. Andi Ibrahim also threatened to stop paying contributions from the Contributing Aid (PBI) for the poor to BPJS Kesehatan. "Especially if the BPJS is still in arrears, then paying a claim to the hospital, I also stop paying with him," he said.

Andi Ibrahim added, his office had never been late in paying PBI to BPJS Kesehatan. So that Andi Ibrahim took the initiative to return to the way it was when the government covered the costs of public medicine through the Community Health Insurance program (Jamkesmas). "We have never been late to pay, if we have entered the letter, we immediately disposition," he said.

The two-year regent of Polman emphasized that the Health BPJS must give full rights to the community. "Imagine how much public money is in BPJS? How many BPJS employees, try money from the people really given. This will be enough, it can't be stuck like this," said Andi Ibrahim.

AHMAD G