NTT blames central government for budget cut

Yemris Fointuna ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  KUPANG   |  Sat, 06/27/2009 11:03 AM  |  The Archipelago

Around 55,550 infants and children suffering from edema and malnutrition in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) may have less chance of survival this year following a reduction in the disease mitigation budget.

The East Nusa Tenggara legislative council and administration has blamed the budget cut, from Rp 2 billion (US$196,000) in 2008 to Rp 1.8 billion this year, on the decrease of general allocation funds they received from the central government this year.

"Around 80 percent of the NTT provincial budget relies on central government assistance," according to Adrianus Ndu Ufi, a member from the council's commission on health.

"So, don't be surprised if the allocated budget for malnutrition mitigation decreases in 2009 to Rp 1.8 billion from Rp 2 billion in the previous year," he said recently.

He said that 60 percent of the 2009 NTT provincial budget, which totaled around Rp 1 trillion, was set aside for "routine expenditures", while the remaining 40 percent was allocated for "developmental spending".

Isbandrio, head of the NTT health agency, said there were two international organizations, the WFP and UNICEF, which were willing to help tackle nutrition issues in the province. The two organizations, he said, had helped recover malnutrition patients in the regencies of Sikka, Belu, North Central Timor, South Central Timor and Kupang.

"The WFP and UNICEF extended their help by providing fully nutritious biscuits for infants through local posyandu *integrated service posts* and elementary schools," said Isbandrio. He said that each regency administration should ideally allocate a budget to provide nutritious foods, but added that some of them had failed to do so.

"According to my records, there are three regencies with high levels of malnutrition, but local administrations do not allocate special budgets to mitigate malnutrition *cases* in their region," he said.

The three regencies concerned are South Central Timor, East Manggarai and West Sumba, according to Isbandrio.

He said public health insurance cards should also be provided to take care of infants and children suffering from malnutrition.

Those patients should receive medical treatment from the age of three to nine months, he said.

"They have to consume extra nutrition, like protein and carbohydrates, during that vital period *depending on their levels*," he said.

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