Incomprehensibility is the president of Indonesian Prambovo Subiando, who still defends his ambitious plan to offer free meals for students, which caused about 6,000 cases of food poisoningsaying that the percentage of those who were ill was small and that the program is still trying to find its footsteps.
Food poisoning cases in students in Indonesia have caused popular anger, With television stations broadcasting footage with children receiving first aid to hospital beds.
Local non -governmental organizations have appealed for the suspension of the program.
The multi -billion dollar initiative, which includes the offer of free meals to pregnant women, has quickly expanded after being implemented in January and currently includes about 30 million beneficiaries.
By the end of the year it aims to reach 83 million.
“Indeed, there have been imperfections, outbreaks of food poisoning. We measured all the meals offered. Devies, deficiencies or errors are 0.00017%, “the president said in a party event.
There have been about 70 different incidents. Two -thirds of the 6,000 people affected are incidents from August onwards.
According to Prambovo, the program, which aims to prevent stagnation in children, has improved the diet of many children, has created jobs and has given local farmers and fishermen to sell their products.
“That doesn’t mean we’re happy. But there has never been a human effort in this range in the past, and I never think in world history. It took 11 years for Brazil to reach 40 million beneficiaries, “he commented.
Following a cabinet during the weekend with the aim of looking for ways to avoid outbreaks of food poisoning, Prambovo ordered supply from each preparation, which participates in the program, Special equipment to control the quality of food, food sterilizer, water filter and camera connected to the central government to monitor the process.
The National Nutrition Service announced last week that out of the 9,000 meals involved in the program, 40 were closed because they did not meet the health standards.
The program has also raised concerns that it will not be financially viable. For next year, $ 20 billion is scheduled for its needs, three times the one scheduled for 2025.
Underlining the sensitivity of the issue, the Presidential Office temporarily recalled the credentials of a journalist who covered the presidential report and the weekend asked Prambovo how he intends to address the issue with outbreaks of food poisoning.