Jakarta: Indonesia school meal food poisoning has struck over 1,000 students in West Java province, authorities have said, marking another challenge for the government’s large-scale free meals programme.
The outbreaks have been reported in four areas, with West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi telling that mass illnesses from food poisoning have strained local hospitals and health facilities. The latest cases follow last week’s food poisoning incident, where around 800 students in West Java and Central Sulawesi became sick after consuming the school lunches.
The free nutritious meals programme, introduced by President Prabowo Subianto, has expanded rapidly to reach over 20 million recipients, with plans to feed 83 million Indonesians by the end of the year. The programme’s budget of 171 trillion ($10.22 billion) is set to double in the coming year.
Governor Mulyadi said that more than 470 students in West Bandung fell ill on September 22, with three further outbreaks reported in West Bandung and the Sukabumi region by September 24, affecting at least 580 children. Mulyadi added that the kitchens preparing the meals were serving too many students and were located far from schools, leading to early cooking and improper food storage.
The National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the programme, has suspended kitchens involved in the outbreaks. Local media showed makeshift treatment centres set up in sports halls in West Bandung, where dozens of students were receiving care on fold-out beds or on the floor. Ambulances were seen transporting children to hospitals, which have been overwhelmed by the surge in patients.
Since January, at least 6,452 children nationwide have suffered from food poisoning linked to the school meals programme, according to think tank Network for Education Watch. The West Bandung regional government has declared a health emergency to allocate resources and address the mass illnesses.
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