VOI Today: MBG Poisoning Reaches 10 Thousand Cases, But Many Officials Underestimate The Number Of Victims

JAKARTA - Public communication officials in responding to cases of mass poisoning of the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program are considered blunders and seem underestimated.

For example, Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi's statement said the students' stomach was 'surprised'. He also asked the public not to exaggerate this issue.

It is known that MBG poisoning cases in Central Java reached 2,700 cases as of October 6. Meanwhile, the number of MBG poisoning cases throughout Indonesia reached 10,482 cases based on JPPI data as of October 4.

On October 1, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana said the number of poisoning cases that occurred was still within reasonable limits.

Earlier on September 29, President Prabowo said that the number of MBG beneficiaries was much higher than the number of victims of poisoning.

MBG poisoning cases are only 0.00017 percent compared to the number of MBG recipients. Meanwhile, DPR member from PDIP Edy Wuryanto said MBG poisoning could not be compared to statistics.

He asked BGN officials to be more empathetic in conveying public communication. Do not make statements that hurt people's hearts.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, whose grandchildren were also victims of MBG poisoning, said that the safety or lives of children cannot be seen only as statistical figures as President Prabowo said.

The question is, what is the right communication that must be communicated by the government?

Communications Science Expert, Dr. Abdul Rahman assessed that public communication of officials must be improved. Officials should be more empathetic in conveying something related to human life.

He also hopes that officials can consider themselves the same as the children who received the MBG. So that no more statements will appear that seem to underestimate the number of victims.