Deputy Head Of Commission IX Of The House Of Representatives Calls MBG Poisoning Similar To COVID-19: Waiting For Additional Victims Every Day

Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the DPR from the PDIP faction, Charles Honoris. Photo: Screenshot of YouTube of the DPR RI

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the DPR, Charles Honoris criticized the implementation of Free Nutrition Food (MBG) following the rise of mass poisoning cases that occurred in the last month.

Charles even said that the problem of MBG poisoning was similar to the case of COVID-19, where the victims continued to increase every day.

This criticism was conveyed by Charles to the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana during a working meeting with Commission IX of the DPR with the Minister of Health, Head of BKKBN and Head of BPOM at the Nusantara I Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, October 1.

Charles initially said that the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program had a noble aim, namely to alleviate the problem of malnutrition for Indonesian children. However, according to Charles, this good program should also be followed by good implementation by coordinating all related parties.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't think anyone doubts the purpose and good intentions of this program. And I think we all agree, the purpose of this program is how in the future we must be able to eradicate malnutrition in Indonesia. But of course good intentions and good intentions must also be followed by good implementation, good coordination," said Charles.

"I think all of you remember, yes, we at Commission IX, from the start we had reminded BGN to be able to coordinate well with other institutions, even with the POM we included in the conclusion of the meeting, that there must be cooperation. But a few weeks ago, the cooperation only limited to allowing the POM to provide training until the incident, cases of poisoning, cases of poisoning, cases of poisoning," he continued.

The PDIP legislator from the DKI Jakarta III electoral district then highlighted the acceleration of the granting of a Sanitation Higiene Certificate (SLHS) to the SPPG. He warned that the issuance of this certificate should be carried out carefully and not carelessly.

"Regarding SLHS, yes, the Ministry of Health will speed up the SLHS process. This is actually good for me that there is a desire to make sure all kitchens now have SLHS, but this sentence, Mr. makes me also wary, don't reduce the quality, sir," he explained.

Charles then opened two documents regarding SLHS. The first is the SPPG environmental health inspection, issued by the Ministry of Health. As well as environmental health inspections that are commonly used for boga services.

"And these two documents are not the same, many of which are available in the ordinary food industry, if the SPPG is removed, nothing. Examples of requirements regarding drainage systems in areas outside the building, then what requirements are technical, the use of PPE, trash cans in public storage, etc.," he explained.

"So there are a lot of them in the food or kitchen industry in general, but why doesn't the SPPG have rights like this. Don't let the quality of the SLHS issued, rush and also finally make more or less something, it's more not strict so that in the future the poisoning could happen again," Charles continued.

With so many cases of poisoning suspected to be the result of negligence in MBG governance, Charles felt that today's situation was like the situation when Indonesia was hit by the COVID-19 virus. Where every day there are more victims.

"Because of what, sir, how come I feel like I'm going back to the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, sir. If in the past we looked at the numbers every day, the numbers that increase every day are infected with COVID-19, how many. Today, we wait. Today is the case of poisoning where else," he said.

"Two days ago in Ciamis it was the same in Lampung, yesterday in Jakarta it was the same in Garut. Where else are you going today, sir? Therefore, Mr. SLHS should not be published carelessly, I ask SLHS to be made strict, so that the kitchens also follow well," concluded Charles.