Bobby Assures Free Nutritious Meal Programme in North Sumatra Will Continue: Regions in Need

The Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, has ensured that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme will not be discontinued, despite numerous cases of food poisoning affecting students. Bobby believes that the issues arising during the implementation of the MBG programme should serve as material for evaluation and improvement, rather than a reason to stop the programme.

“Improvement, improvement is the keyword,” said Bobby Nasution in Medan on Tuesday (8/9).

According to Bobby, the necessary course of action is to continuously refine the programme. By doing so, there will be no further poisoning victims in the future.

“What we support is the improvement of the MBG, the improvement of its distribution, and the improvement of its mechanism,” he stated.

Bobby noted that the demand for the MBG programme remains significant, particularly in several regions that require nutritional support for school children.

“Because in some areas, there are certainly still those who need the MBG, but the distribution and the menu must also be good, without any further loss of life,” he added.

Previously, cases of suspected poisoning after consuming food from the MBG programme occurred in several regions across Indonesia. North Sumatra was one of the regions reporting such cases.

One Grade XI student at SMK Bersama Berastagi in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, Febiona Purba (16), was reported to have suffered memory impairment after being poisoned by the Free Nutritious Meal programme at her school.

Febiona’s family stated that her condition is worsening. In addition to memory issues, Febiona is also reportedly experiencing difficulty speaking.