Being ripped off by doctors!

Down below is something I copied and pasted from “Café Salemba”…
Very interesting, especially after recently I tried to interview Dr.H. Muki Reksoprodjo, SpOG, president director of the MMC Hospital in South Jakarta and he REFUSED.

He said he had nothing to say when it came to “hospital management” and he, after all was, a “bad manager” and that another reason was—despite being a par excellence Javanese—he preferred to speak matter-of-factly about things and this in the end might hurt “the powers-that-be.”

Ah yes, he also mentioned about the fact that his wife was the chair of the Women's International Club and he did not want to make it look like he was up and ready to share his views with the international community especially because the interview would be published in English!

Well, so much so for turning down an interview request. But it’s not that I don’t know about his position with regards to hospital management and more importantly about hospital SERVICES.

Still I’m glad that he was willing to share some of his opinions about the role Health Ministry as the regulator of the country’s hospital industry—off the record!

But, I’ve done my researches and actually—although in a very on-and-off basis—I’ve been virtually following him for probably over 20 years … since he helped me with the birth of my two daughters.

So I think I—more or less—know what he has in mind

I also know that he did make statements which might be very irking in the ears of the authorities. Someday, when I have the time I think I will share them with some people … Not now…

In the mean time, have a look at this piece written by “rizal” from Café Salemba …

How many of you are damn sure that whenever you go to those fancy hospitals and health clinics in Jakarta, without medical insurance in hand, you are not ripped off by those, favorite, doctors? That, somehow, you feel that your headache is not that bad, but then you find yourself ended up into unecessary expensive procedures as well as pricey medicines? That you are sure that caesarean section is indeed in dire need, and not the way obstetricians make extra money off you? And—this is is the worst—that they really know what's going on inside your body?

But since you have no expertise in medical science, the only option for you is to shut your mouth up, and let the experts decide your fate. Worse still, they are the one who not only diagnose, but also will be paid for further treatment.

The same thing goes for laptop repair, or car mechanics. And this guy, Henry Schneider of Cornell, took the challenge to prove whether car mechanics, in 40 Connecticut garages, don't swindle their costumers. The result: only 20 percent pass the test.

I hope somebody's gonna hire economists to do the same undercover research for health services here in Jakarta, or Indonesia, instead of relying on anecdotal evidences and finger-pointing game on doctor's malpractices. Schneider's paper and model is not technically too complicated to replicate for our case.

I am looking forward to it.