Cases of malnutrition also reported from Alor regency

Cases of malnutrition also reported from Alor regency

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Rendi Witular, The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Jakarta

More malnutrition cases were reported on Thursday as the central
government dispatched a team of health workers to West Nusa
Tenggara to study the cases that were first revealed in the
province a day earlier.

A local government official stated on Thursday that, actually,
the malnutrition cases were not only found in West Nusa Tenggara
province, but also in the neighboring province of East Nusa
Tenggara. Out of 400 malnourished children in five subdistricts
in Alor regency, East Nusa Tenggara, between 10 and 15 percent of
them were suffering from chronic malnutrition, said chief of the
Alor health office Paul Menuenpil.

The Alor health office is currently preparing a package of
nutritional foods to make available for the children. The Alor
administration has earmarked Rp 20 million (US$2,127) for the
food. "The amount of money is small, but we will do our best,"
said Menuenpil, according to Antara the state news agency.

Similar to Alor, the West Nusa Tenggara provincial
administration was also battling malnutrition cases on Thursday.
Adnin Serinata, the wife of West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu
Serinata, visited a Mataram hospital earlier in the day and
ceremonially handed over Rp 10 million in cash to the affected
children's parents.

Muhammad, 3, of West Lombok was one recipient. When Adnin
visited him, Muhammad, who is in very grave condition, was being
carried by his mother Yuliati, 30, who was trying to force feed
him. However, Muhammad, who is very thin, but has a grossly
distended abdomen, could not keep the food down. Muhammad has
been in Mataram Hospital for two weeks, but his condition had not
improved.

Besides visiting Mataram Hospital, Adnin also went to several
subdistricts in Mataram where malnutrition cases had been
reported. In the respective subdistricts, Adnin urged Family
Welfare Agency officers to improve their performance and to do
more to prevent malnutrition in the community.

The malnutrition cases in West Nusa Tenggara, which made
headlines nationwide, came to light on Wednesday during a meeting
among high ranking provincial officials.

It was reported in the meeting that dozens on Lombok island
were known to be suffering from malnutrition, and at least seven
of them had died in the past few months. The tragic irony is that
the province produces rice surpluses every year and sells extra
rice outside the area.

However, pediatrician Hananto Wiryo explained that it was
plausible for the fertile province to have malnourished people.
The problem persists because poverty has not been properly
addressed. Most of the people suffer from malnutrition come from
poor families, in which they earn between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000
a day, Hananto deduced. "In order to address the malnutrition,
the government should establish command posts in every village
considered to be pockets of poverty," explained Hananto.

The statement was echoed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Kalla
earlier urged the West Nusa Tenggara government to seriously deal
with poverty in order to prevent malnutrition.

Separately, Coordinating Minister of Social Affairs Alwi
Shihab said that the government had deployed a team of health
workers to address the malnutrition cases.