The Number of Residents Poisoned at the Recess Event for Cimahi City DPRD Members Reaches 326 People

Residents experiencing symptoms of poisoning are waiting for the results of an examination at the Padasuka Health Center, Cimahi City, West Java, Monday, July 24, 2023. (ANTARA-Ricky P)

WEST JAVA - Cimahi City Health Office (Dinkes) revealed that food poisoning victims during the recess of DPRD members in Cimahi reached 326 people.

"Based on the data we received, there were 326 affected, with 198 people being hospitalized, while the rest were outpatient," said the Head of Disease Prevention and Control of the Cimahi Health Office Dwihadi Isnalini in Cimahi, West Java, Tuesday, July 25, as reported by Antara.

He said that until now there have been several patients who have been allowed to go home after undergoing treatment at the hospital, but most are still in the recovery stage because they still feel pain such as nausea and vomiting, then fever and shortness of breath. "Maybe the stomach is bloated to make it feel tight," he added.

Dwihadi ensured that all costs for the treatment of food poisoning victims were borne by the Cimahi City Government (Pemkot) using the APBD, considering the status of an Extraordinary Event (KLB).

"We follow the rules that apply and why regional funding, not from other sources such as BPJS Health, because as far as I know if there is an incident like this outbreak, it cannot be borne. We prepare everything in advance, the important thing is that the community is helped first," he said.

Regarding the status of the KLB, Dwihadi said that its implementation would see what the next development would look like. "So we continue to monitor, if indeed there are no additional cases, we can stop it," he said.

It is known that hundreds of people experienced symptoms similar to poisoning after consuming food from the recess of DPRD members in Padasuka Village. The victims came from the Setiamanah Sub-District, Cimahi Sub-District, and Padasuka Sub-District.

Some residents who experienced symptoms of poisoning after being observed at the Padasuka Health Center -- which is a food poisoning health post -- only needed outpatient care. But there are also patients who need further treatment so they are taken to the hospital by ambulance.

There are five hospitals that are referred to as main food poisoning patients, namely Cibabat, Dustira, Mitra Kasih, Kasih Bunda, and Mitra Anugrah Lestari (MAL).

In an effort to find out the cause of the poisoning, the Padasuka Public Health Center with the Cimahi Health Office on Sunday, July 23, sent samples of food consumed by people who had symptoms of poisoning to the Regional Health Laboratory of West Java Province.

Until now, the City of Cimahi is still waiting for the results of examining food samples from the laboratory. "So it is not certain what caused it," said Dwihadi.