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.