Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Poor Jakarta residents cannot look forward to improved access to affordable health care after the central government decided to exclude the capital from a subsidized health care program.
The central government had originally allocated Rp 14.9 billion (US$1.6 million) to subsidize medical services for poor Jakarta residents following the 29 percent increase in fuel prices on March 1.
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari recently announced, however, that Jakarta would not receive the money.
"Minister Fadilah said Jakarta would most likely not receive assistance for health services," the assistant to the city secretary for people's welfare, Rohana Manggala, said over the weekend.
Rohana did not give a reason for the decision, but hinted that it may have something to do with the city's allocation of Rp 100 billion in the 2005 budget to provide affordable health care for the poor.
She said the central government's decision meant at least 227,134 poor city residents would have no access to affordable health care.
The city administration estimates that about 3.5 million of Jakarta's 12 million residents are in dire need of subsidized health services.
"According to our estimate, the Rp 100 billion we allocated will only be able to reach 1.7 million poor residents, leaving some 1.8 million others without access to more affordable health care," she said.
Governor Sutiyoso said he would ask the health minister to reconsider and release the funds for the city.
"I have ordered my subordinates to get a clarification directly from the minister. I think poor Jakartans deserve the assistance since they also feel the bite of the fuel price increases," the governor said.
In addition to health assistance funds, the central government is deliberating fund allocations for other sectors such as education, food and small and medium enterprises, in an effort to offset the higher fuel prices.
"Bappenas [Office of the State Minister for National Planning] is still discussing detailed allocations," Jakarta City Planning Board head Achmad Hariyadi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
The latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the number of residents living below the poverty line increased 18 percent to 370,898 people (91,468 households) last year, from 314,702 people (80,961 households) in 2003. East Jakarta saw the highest increase at 85 percent, from 55,491 people in 2003 to 102,957 in 2004.
Central Jakarta, where numerous multinational companies, government offices and embassies are located, also saw a sharp 58 percent increase in the number of poor residents, to 68,599 last year from about 45,328 in 2003.
BPS defines someone as poor if he or she meets at least three of eight criteria, including: living in a dwelling that is less than eight square meters in size; living in a dwelling that has a dirt floor instead of tiles or cement; having no access to clean water; having no access to a toilet; living in a house with walls made of plywood or cardboard.