Twelve outpatients who were moved from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) to a private house on Jl. Cokroaminoto in Menteng, were relocated Friday to Yadika Hospital in Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta.

They were transported to the private hospital in a rented minibus, after spending 11 days in the house.

Yadika spokesman Hunter said the hospital's management was concerned about conditions in the house and would provide immediate treatment for the patients.

"We shouldn't let the ill suffer more. We will examine the patients, most of whom suffer from cancer, and provide immediate treatment. We will then evaluate whether we can refer them to other hospitals, including Dharmais hospital," he said.

The management will contact the Health Ministry to discuss fees for the patients' medication, he added.

"I am sure the ministry will cover the costs as the patients are from low-income families and covered by Jamkesmas," Hunter said, adding the hospital is willing to help the patients because they possess Jamkesmas cards.

Jamkesmas is a public health insurance program for low-income families. The program replaced previous programs managed by state-owned health insurance company PT Askes.

Under Jamkesmas, the government has set aside Rp 4.6 trillion (US$504.4 million) from state budgets to provide free health care for the country's nearly 76.4 million poor.

The health insurance scheme covers stays in third class hospital rooms as well as all required medications.

Hunter said the hospital management had been asked by the Health Legal Aid Foundation to take care of the patients.

"The patients include one child and 11 adults, four of whom are in first class rooms, with the others in second and third class," he added.

Patients were using the first class rooms only for the day, as the hospital ran out of third class beds, he said.

"I'm sure third class beds will be available tomorrow and we can move the patients there," Hunter added.

At least 27 outpatients who had been staying with family members in one of the RSCM's buildings without permission, were asked to leave from the hospital three weeks ago.

RSCM asked them to find another place to stay because their presence was causing hygiene problems that put other patients at risk.

The patients, however, could not go back to their home outside Jakarta as their relatives could not afford the cost of traveling back and forth to the hospital.

They then stayed for four days in the office of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) before being moved to the house in Menteng, Central Jakarta on July 20.

The house, which belongs to a former member of LBH Jakarta who was concerned about the patients' situation, consists of four bedrooms, two bathrooms — in terrible condition — an overgrown backyard and a patio furnished with worn sofas.

Agus, one of the patients' relatives, said these 12 were the last to leave the house.