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View all search resultsFood poisoning surge prompts mass calls for free meals review
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Meals go wrong: Students affected by food poisoning after consuming the free nutritious meal undergo medical treatment on Sept. 23 at Cipongkor District Office, West Bandung Regency, West Java. According to official data, a total of 352 students and parents experienced food poisoning, suspected to have been caused by the free meals program on Sept. 22. (Antara/Abdan Syakura)
C
ivil society organizations are calling on the government to conduct a “total reevaluation” of the flagship free nutritious meal program in the wake of widespread food poisoning cases at schools across the country.
More than a thousand students in several regions have fallen ill in recent weeks after consuming food distributed through the program, which is championed by the administration of President Prabowo Subianto.
While Presidential Chief of Staff Muhammad Qodari said the number of affected students had exceeded 5,000, the Network for Education Watch Indonesia (JPPI) reported 6,425 cases as of Tuesday.
The watchdog also highlighted that since the new school year began in August, the number of reported cases had surged to over 2,000. Prior to that time frame, several hundred food poisoning cases were reported since the program’s Jan. 6 rollout.
The spike in cases has intensified calls from civil society organizations for the government to take the matter seriously and act responsibly.
Read also: Quality, not quantity: Teachers push back against free meals expansion plan
“The government should conduct a total evaluation of the free nutritious meal program that involves public participation to ensure better management, independent monitoring and transparent, accountable use of funds,” Eva Nurcahyani of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said on Tuesday, during a press briefing at the NGO’s office in Kalibata, South Jakarta.
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