To access YES 118, a person simply dials 118. This will connect them with the Red Cross, who will give them instruction on what to do, identify their location, and then send an ambulance to them. To use YES 118, one is not required to be a resident of Yogyakarta, but must be located within the city limits (within 32 kilometers of the city center).
For the program, the city government partners with the Indonesian Red Cross, and 8 private hospitals and 2 public hospitals, with support from a telecommunication company to integrate emergency services. Several ambulances are housed centrally at the Red Cross call center, and every hospital has 1 or 2 ambulances. When a patient calls, the operator decides what ambulance is closest and arranges the pick up.
One of the innovative aspects of YES 118 is the financing of care. When a hospital participates in YES 118, they agree to promptly provide emergency care service to patients upon their arrival. In return, the city government agrees to finance to the first 24 hours of care through its insurance called Jamkesda, while the Indonesian Red Cross takes care of the emergency transportation.
Participating private hospitals have expressed satisfaction with the program, saying that it is increasing their patient volumes and guaranteeing payment.
Occasionally, due to staff rotation, a doctor at a participating program may not be aware of the program and request for payment from the patient. To deal with this YES 118 operators will provide a referral card with the patient stating their condition and explaining their condition. In addition, if a patient is charged for care, they are able to approach the Red Cross to assist with reimbursement.
The program advertises itself to Yogyakarta residents through 8 large billboards in strategic locations (e.g. the zoo, places where accidents happen), 18 smaller billboards located in clinics, and through TV and radio. Program managers say that there is increasing awareness of the program but that is hasn't peaked yet.
