Dessy Sagita – A complete lack of faith in the health care system and threadbare promotions of the country's hospitals that offer international-standard treatment are pushing thousands of Indonesians to seek treatment in Singapore and other neighboring countries, a prominent doctor said on Tuesday.

"Our efforts to promote our hospitals are obviously inadequate, while bad publicity about malpractice are also common," said Zaenal Abidin, secretary general of the Indonesian Doctors Association. "No wonder our patients look elsewhere for treatment."

Businessman Rivo Rozari, 28, backs up that assertion and says that given the choice, he would rather go to Singapore, because he has heard "too many horror stories about Indonesian hospitals and doctors."

"I wouldn't mind paying more for medical treatment in Singapore," he said. "I'm not saying Indonesian doctors are bad, but I don't really trust Indonesian hospitals."

Dr. Khoo Kei Siong, the deputy medical director and senior consultant for medical oncology at the Parkway Cancer Center in Singapore, said most patients come to Singapore because they expect better expertise and care.

"I always thought I worked very hard, but I've heard that Indonesian oncologists work even harder because they have to handle so many patients," Siong said. "You need more oncologists and probably better training."

Dr. Edward Yang Tuck Loong, a senior consultant of radiation oncology at Parkway, said another reason overseas patients were drawn to Singapore was because, unlike in Indonesia, strict punishments were meted out for doctors found guilty of medical malpractice.

"Here, every case can be investigated," he said. "If you're not happy with the result, you can always sue the doctors or the hospitals. This factor makes doctors and hospitals work extra carefully when treating patients."

Zaenal acknowledges there is a dearth of qualified specialists in Indonesia, a problem also exacerbated by the long-ingrained lack of trust for doctors in the country.

"Patient trust in doctors and hospitals is vital," he says. "Nobody can recover if they don't trust the people treating them. This is the kind of perception we need to change."

Mount Elizabeth Hospital, one of Singapore's major private hospitals, reports that 70 percent to 80 percent of its patients come from Indonesia, despite the sizeable travel, accommodation and health care costs associated with going abroad for treatment.

The hospital's Parkway Cancer Center, which also has clinics in the Gleneagles and Parkway East hospitals, receives 13,000 annual visits from Indonesian patients who come both for consultation and integrated treatments.

Zaenal said that a large measure of Singapore's medical success came from its ties to tourism, and that the Indonesian government needed to focus on promoting Indonesian hospitals within the local market.

"It's almost impossible to invite Singaporean patients to come to Indonesia because they have a very good system in their own country," he said.

"However, we have a tremendous potential domestic market. If only we can get Indonesian patients to change their mind-set and choose local hospitals over going abroad, we may have a brighter future."