Malnutrition claims 10 in S. Sulawesi
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post | Mon, 10/03/2011 6:47 PM
Malnutrition has claimed the lives of 10 people in South Sulawesi as of September this year, with four children dying in a three-day span last week.
The children were identified as Musdalifah, 3, who died on Thursday, Adelia, 9 months, and Ameliza, 6, both of whom died on Friday, and Irdam, 18 months, who died on Saturday.
The children died while being treated at Labuang Baji city hospital in Makassar.
One other malnourished child is still in intensive care at the hospital.
The Makassar Health Agency dismissed allegations that children died due to malnutrition, blaming other chronic diseases they suffered.
"Mostly they had problems with their digestion, respiration and liver functions in addition to their undernourished states," agency head Naisyah Tun Azikin said.
However, a nutritionist from Hasanuddin University of Makassar, Atja Razak Thaha, said malnutrition had worsened the children's conditions.
"In the beginning, they were undernourished. Then their bodies became susceptible to other diseases," he said. Last year, 10 children in the province reportedly died of malnutrition.
