There are still problems in hospital referral system in the province. This can be seen in the high number of referrals from public health centres being made to Dr. Sardjito General Hospital. Head of Health Agency of the Province, dr. Sarminto, M.Kes., said in Weekly Clinical Updates on Primary Care 2013 event in Auditorium of Faculty of Medicine UGM, Friday (1/3). The event hosted by Family Medicine UGM was joined by some 300 general practitioners in Yogyakarta.
“(The General Hospital) should not accept direct referrals from public health centres except for emergencies, but that is difficult, too,” said Sarminto.
According to Sarminto, basic health problems should be able to be dealt with in the primary level, such as in public health centres. He assessed that human resources in those places are adequate and standardised. In Yogyakarta, there are 121 public health centres, 42 of which have in-patient facilities.
“(Public health centres) are adequate and the doctors are there,” Sarminto said.
Sarminto said the number of direct referrals is high. This may create problems if the National Social Guarantee System (SJSN) is enacted by 2014. “Claims may be unpaid,” he added.
To resolve the issue, the Health Agency socialised the referral system to regencies and municipality so that they can follow it up in order that health problems such as natal mortality or delivery cases in the province can be minimised and handled at primary level.
Similarly, Dean of the Faculty UGM, Prof. Dr. dr. Teguh Aryandono, Sp.B.(K)Onk, saw that 60 percent of health problems can be handled at primary level. Therefore, health human resources there have to be absolutely ready.
“Once graduates finish doctoral education, they have to keep updating science and technology progress, like joining this training,” Teguh said.