Food-poisoned children still in critical state

JAKARTA (JP): The results of the laboratory tests on mung bean porridge that poisoned 192 children in Lampung nearly two weeks have not yet been announced.

Three of the children are being treated in Jakarta's Cipto Mangunkusomo hospital. The hospital and the Ministry of Health say they are working on the tests.

At the hospital yesterday, Dr. Abdul Latif said he was unable to say what poisoned the children.

Ministry of Health officials in Lampung and Jakarta were unavailable to comment yesterday on the exact cause of poisoning.

Abdul said he could not say how long it would take the children to recover.

He said that two of the three patients flown in from Lampung, Fitriani, 10, and Purnomo, 13, were still in a critical condition. Susmiati, 13, was showing some improvement despite cries of pain.

All three were admitted to the state-owned hospital's intensive care unit for children on Thursday, April 17, Abdul said.

They were brought to Jakarta because they were not getting any better at Abdul Muluk Hospital in Bandarlampung.

One hundred and ninety-two Sabuk Indah primary school students became sick earlier this month in Lampung after eating mung bean porridge prepared by some of the parents.

The porridge was provided as part of a supplementary food program.

The meals program was set up to help the children's growth and development. It targets 1,365 elementary schools in 635 underdeveloped villages (IDT). Each school has about 300 students.

Parents take turns to prepare the meals that are provided free three times a week at a daily cost to the government of Rp 350 (15 US cents) a child. The meals are paid for by a special fund, Inpress, established by a Presidential instruction.

Abdul Latif said Susmiati's condition was improving and she could now cry and move.

Fitriani and Purnomo were still on respirators, he said.

"All three children are given liquid meals through a feeding tube inserted through their mouths to their stomachs," he said.

Their intake is related to their body weight, he said.

Abdul said intravenous calorie intake ranged between 100 and 125 calories for every kilogram. Fitriani weighs 18 kilograms, Poernomo 20 kilograms and Susmiati 31 kilograms, he said.

Meanwhile, Fitriani's father, Tugiran, has kept vigil outside the ICU room since the day his daughter and the two other children were admitted.

He is still hoping for a speedy recovery.

He said earlier that the government had promised to cover the costs of Fitriani's and the other children's medical treatment.

An official at the Lampung administration dormitory in West Jakarta, Suprianto, said Lampung's provincial administration was arranging the children's parents' accommodation and transport here. (01)