JAKARTA’S FOOD POISONING EPIDEMIC
In a shocking turn of events, 365 people in an Indonesian town have fallen ill after consuming school lunches, marking the largest wave of food poisonings to hit President Prabowo Subianto’s free meals program.
The meals have been abruptly halted in Sragen, located in central Java, as officials conduct tests on food samples to detect any signs of contamination.
The program, with an estimated cost of $28bn (£21bn), was introduced as part of the president’s commitment to combat stunting in the country.
However, the initiative has been marred by a series of food poisonings, sparking criticisms about its hefty price tag that has strained the government’s finances, resulting in budget cuts for several ministries.
Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, a ninth-grader in Sragen, shared his harrowing experience with Reuters, describing how he woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating stomach pain, followed by diarrhea and a headache – symptoms he suspected were caused by food poisoning. He later discovered that his schoolmates were also suffering from similar ailments.
The suspected culprit was a meal consisting of turmeric rice, scrambled eggs, fried tempeh, cucumber salad, and a box of milk – all prepared in a central kitchen and distributed to various schools in the town.
In response to the crisis, the government has pledged to cover any medical expenses incurred as a result of the food poisoning incidents.
“We cannot jump to conclusions prematurely,” stated Sigit Pamungkas, the town’s government leader, in an interview with Indonesia’s Tempo newspaper. “However, it is evident that stricter hygiene measures need to be enforced in the free meals program.”
Since the inception of the ambitious program in January, over 1000 individuals across the country have fallen ill, leading to concerns about the program’s effectiveness in feeding the nation’s 80 million school children.
In a bid to fund the free meal scheme and other populist initiatives, President Prabowo implemented $19bn in cuts, resulting in drastic budget reductions for several ministries. This move sparked outrage, with protesters condemning the government’s actions with signs that read, “Children eat for free, parents are laid off”.
Despite the backlash, Prabowo defended the program during his inaugural State of the National Address, asserting that the social initiatives, including the free meals program, are crucial steps in transforming Indonesia into a nation free from poverty, hunger, and suffering. — BBC
