JAKARTA: A 16-year-old student in Karo regency, North Sumatra, has suffered memory loss, seizures and difficulty speaking after falling ill in a mass food poisoning incident linked to the government’s free nutritious meal programme, raising fresh concerns about food safety in the initiative.
The student's mother, Elvinus Lusiana, said Febiona Purba had been treated at five hospitals and examined by pediatric gastroenterology, neurology and psychiatry specialists, but has shown little improvement since the food poisoning incident three weeks ago. “She is now having some difficulty speaking. Her tongue seems to have moved inward a little,” Elvinus said on Monday (Sept 7), as quoted by Kompas.com.
Elvinus said her daughter also experienced memory problems while recovering at home. She said Febiona failed to recognise relatives and school friends who came to visit her.
“For example, when her aunt came, she asked, ‘Who is this?’ We told her, ‘This is your aunt.’ It was the same with her younger siblings. Even when her school friends came to visit, she did not recognise them,” Elvinus said.
Febiona and 352 other students from three senior high schools and vocational schools in Berastagi district, Karo regency, fell ill on Aug 13 after consuming a government-provided meal package consisting of rice, stir-fried cabbage and carrots, slices of melon and mackerel tuna curry.
The students reportedly suffered a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness and weakness. Some also experienced allergic reactions, including itching around the mouth and on their hands, followed by vomiting and difficulty breathing.
Elvinus said Febiona told her the mackerel tasted bitter and was tough, but she ate it because she was hungry. “Shortly after eating the fish, Febiona felt dizzy and itchy. She later vomited and lost consciousness at home, so we immediately took her to a local hospital,” Elvinus said.
Febiona was treated at the local hospital for three days before returning home, but was later hospitalised again after suffering a seizure and remained there for about a week. On Sept. 5, she suffered another seizure and was taken to hospital again, Elvinus said.
Elvinus appealed to doctors to find an effective treatment so her daughter would not have to repeatedly return to hospital. “We are tired too. Please give her the right medicine. She always says she wants to go to school, but how can we let her go?” Elvinus said.
National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Sudaryono said last month that an initial investigation had found the mass food-poisoning incident in Karo regency was linked to improper storage of fish served to students. Most of the fish had been stored in a freezer, but about 200 to 300 pieces were left unrefrigerated for around 12 hours, he said.
Subsequent laboratory tests found Bacillus cereus in rice samples, Staphylococcus aureus in mackerel-tuna samples and Escherichia coli in melon samples. Bacillus cereus can cause food poisoning, while Staphylococcus aureus can produce toxins that cause nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps.
Certain strains of E. coli can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal illness. BGN has since suspended the kitchen responsible for preparing the meals and dismissed its head.
Launched on Jan 6, 2025, the free meals programme is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship initiatives. But the ambitious programme has faced mounting criticism over its vast budget, corruption allegations and a string of food poisoning incidents.
Between Sept. 1 and 3 alone, nearly 2,000 children across several provinces fell ill after consuming meals provided under the government’s free meals programme. The cases included 730 students at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo regency, East Java, 276 students and teachers in Agam regency, West Sumatra and 777 students in Rembang regency, Central Java.
Charles Honoris, deputy head of House of Representatives Commission IX, which oversees health and social security, said nearly 50,000 students had suffered food poisoning linked to the programme as of early September.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Friday called on the police to conduct a “transparent, independent” investigation into the recent string of food poisoning incidents linked to the free meals programme, saying repeated food poisoning cases threatened children's right to life.
“[The government] must provide comprehensive remedies to the victims, including transparent epidemiological investigations to identify the root causes, fair sanctions and measures to ensure that such incidents will not happen again,” Komnas HAM commissioner Uli Parulian Sihombing said.
BGN head Sudaryono has described the incidents as “deliberate negligence” by kitchens that failed to follow the agency’s food-safety procedures. On Monday, he said the agency had temporarily closed nearly 2,000 kitchens across the country for failing to register with the Health Ministry and obtain mandatory hygiene and sanitation certifications.
There were 27,022 kitchens distributing free meals across Indonesia as of Sept. 7, according to BGN. The agency will inspect the kitchens before deciding on further action, Sudaryono said, adding that compliance with hygiene and sanitation standards was non-negotiable to ensure the quality of meals and the safety of recipients. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
