Visiting Posyandu In Cempaka Putih, Minister Of Health And Acting Governor Heru Find 3 Children Of Alami Stunting

Photo via Antara.

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono found three cases of tengkes or stunting children in Central Jakarta.

The discovery of the stunting case was found while reviewing monthly health checks at Posyandu Balita Cempaka 3, Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.

"Of the 15 children who have just checked their health here, it turns out that three (children) have entered the stunting and we have to move quickly," Heru told reporters, Wednesday, February 22.

One of the parents of stunting child, Sutarti (41) admitted that her child, Aisyah, weighs 9.9 kilograms with a height of 84 centimeters (cm) at the age of 2.5 years.

"The nutritionist said at the puskesmas, indeed from a age of less, but judging from height and weight it is still proportional. Indeed, my child is also a bit difficult to eat," said Sutarti.

He explained that Aisyah's weight began to decrease when she entered the age of six months, or the MPASI period ( milk companion food).

He is also advised to provide additional fat, such as chicken oil, olive oil and others, in Aisyah's main food.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi likened the case of tengkes to stage four cancer which is difficult to cure.

"Because'stunting' is like stage four cancer, it is already difficult to return it. So, we have to catch up in stage one, stage two. Because this is weighed not once every six months, we have to weigh it every month," said the Minister of Health.

The Minister of Health also expressed his appreciation for the commitment of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to plan to reduce cases of tengkes in children to below 10 percent, or exceed President Joko Widodo's target of 24 percent by 2024.

Meanwhile, Heru appealed to parents to be disciplined in controlling the child's height and weight every month, both at the posyandu and puskesmas.

According to him, the Ministry of Health and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government can directly intervene in providing additional nutrition, such as protein intake for children who are categorized as tengkes.