Nearly 800 fall ill in latest Indonesian free meal poisoning outbreaks
The multibillion-dollar programme to eradicate child undernutrition has been dogged by controversy, including allegations of corruption.
Nearly eight hundred Indonesians fell ill in separate cases of food poisoning linked to the government's free meals programme, according to a member of a parliamentary health commission. This included more than five hundred students in East Java province, according to Charles Honoris, a lawmaker and member of a political party outside the governing coalition.
The programme, launched by President Prabowo Subianto last year, aims to eradicate under-nutrition by providing free meals to tens of millions of children. However, the scheme has faced numerous controversies, including mass food poisoning incidents, allegations of corruption, leadership changes, and a high price tag. In addition to the five hundred students in Sidoarjo, East Java, forty-nine individuals suffered poisoning in Nganjuk, East Java, and two hundred and thirty-seven people in Agam, West Sumatra.
Charles Honoris cited local health department data to support his claim, emphasizing that these were not isolated incidents.
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- Nearly 800 fall ill in latest Indonesian free meal poisoning outbreaks freemalaysiatoday.com
