DPR Commission IX: KPAI's Request For Evaluation Of The Opening Of School Canteens Is Too Much

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX of the DPR RI from the PDIP Faction, Rahmad Handoyo, responded to the statement from the Child and Mother Protection Commission (KPAI) asking for an evaluation of the opening of the school canteen during face-to-face learning (PTM) due to mysterious hepatitis. He thought the request was too much.

"I think it's too much to evaluate the canteen during PTM. The most important thing right now is how we provide socialization, complete education to students, to parents," said Rahmad Handoyo in Jakarta, Friday, May 13.

According to Rahmat, evaluating the opening of a canteen is not wise. Because he said, canteen supervision can be carried out strictly by the school.

"If you have to evaluate canteens in schools, it doesn't feel wise. In fact, for canteens in schools, the control and supervision functions can be even stricter, we can cooperate with the school to make strict provisions," he explained. More importantly, Rahmat said, there are several things that need to be socialized to parents and children. First, related to the symptoms of acute hepatitis and how to avoid it.

"If we can provide proper socialization and education, I think we can avoid the possibility of serious illness so that when the signs show, we are immediately taken to the hospital," said Rahmad.

Second, is how to avoid acute hepatitis, namely with a healthy lifestyle. One of them, do not eat and drink with alternate tools. "Whether with friends or at home, even when our children are sick. That's the most urgent," he continued. Third, namely health protocols. According to Rahmat, this step is an effort to avoid COVID-19 and mysterious hepatitis.

"Because what is being attacked is the respiratory and digestive tracts. So one action of health protocol activities can prevent two diseases at once, namely COVID-19 and acute hepatitis," concluded Rahmad.

Previously, KPAI Commissioner Retno Listiyati asked schools not to open canteens in the midst of the outbreak of the mysterious acute hepatitis disease.

"This needs to be done as one of the anticipations to prevent the transmission of acute hepatitis. Because once the canteen is opened, there will definitely be a crowd,” said Retno.

Based on the information he received, there were two patterns of transmission of this acute hepatitis. Namely, through the respiratory and digestive tract. Therefore, according to Retno, the closure of the school canteen is necessary to cover the potential for transmission. "Because if the canteen is open, who guarantees that students talk to each other or take off their masks?," he said.