Jakarta, Dec. 17 -- Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has urged regional governments to crack down on fraudulent practices in pharmaceutical procurement across local hospitals if they want to safeguard their hospitals' financial health.

He said in Bengkulu on Wednesday that government-owned hospitals, including Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and Sardjito Hospital, had been forced to purchase paracetamol at twice the normal price. Such markups, he said, place a heavy financial burden on hospitals and significantly reduce their income.

"So now I audit all the expenditures. Mr. (Bengkulu Governor), if you want your 10 hospitals to be (healthy financially), monitor them. The Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) will help monitor...