Robert Go, Jakarta – They were originally meant to help the poor, who could get them for free, or at a very low cost, at government-run health clinics. But these days, subsidised vaccines – for hepatitis, tuberculosis, tetanus or smallpox – and prescription drugs, including antibiotics, are turning up for sale in the open market. Not surprisingly, corruption is again to blame.
Workers at government warehouses and distributor outlets said health-care experts and consumer groups have stolen and sold medical supplies to private dealers, instead of channelling them to millions of needy, sick patients.
Dr Marius Widjajarta, head of health-care watchdog YPKKI, told The Straits Times: "The items carry clear labels: 'Property of the Indonesian Ministry of Health' and 'Not for Sale'." They were intended for the poor.
"But now, it is more common to see empty shelves at government clinics, while the subsidised drugs are sold elsewhere," he noted.
These medical supplies, which in the open market costs a third the price at authorised pharmacies, are popular with doctors, nurses or traditional health providers.
These medical practitioners use these cheaper drugs to treat patients at their private practices, charging as much as 20,000 rupiah for what should have cost nothing, or at most 3,000 rupiah, in public clinics.
The Ministry of Health is aware of the problem. Minister Achmad Sujudi said this week that government warehouses are now under investigation for maintaining loose inventories. He also said that consumers should not accept these vaccines and prescription drugs, as improper storage procedures could have reduced their effectiveness or actually made them dangerous for consumption.
Government critics, however, said that officials conduct occasional raids, but have yet to institute a comprehensive audit or monitoring programme that could stop the theft permanently.
Part of the problem is the fact that most Indonesians are still not aware that they do not have to pay high costs for vaccinations and other basic treatments. So they do not question when clinics charge them higher prices.
In addition to the poor quality of the vaccines and drugs, there is also the danger that the higher costs are now pushing many Indonesians to forego preventive medical treatment.
Dr Marius said: "The most serious aspect of this problem is that millions of poor Indonesians, including the very young, are not getting basic treatment. That's not good for the future."