North Sumatra Governor: MBG poisoning victim treated at Haji Hospital until recovery
A patient suffering from suspected food poisoning after consuming a meal from the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme is receiving intensive care in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and remains under close monitoring by the medical team at Haji Hospital Medan.
North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution has confirmed that the victim, a pupil of SMA Negeri 1 Berastagi, was part of a mass poisoning incident involving hundreds of students after eating an MBG meal in Berastagi, Karo Regency, North Sumatra.
The student was referred to Haji Hospital Medan after experiencing a loss of consciousness. The governor stated that the patient’s condition was more severe than that of other affected pupils, necessitating referral from Kabanjahe in Karo to Medan for intensive treatment.
“Our younger sibling’s condition is more serious compared to the other friends. Initially treated in Kabanjahe, but referred here because the condition there experienced a loss of consciousness,” Bobby explained.
The governor also spoke with the patient’s parents from Karo and assured them that the government would continue to oversee the treatment process until the patient has fully recovered.
Data from the North Sumatra Provincial Health Office indicates that 361 pupils from SMA Negeri 1 Berastagi along with private senior high schools and vocational schools in Karo were suspected of suffering mass food poisoning after consuming the MBG meal in Berastagi on Thursday (13/8).
“Here we will make every effort, we promised until recovery. We asked the parents earlier, if possible to be completely restored. The doctor’s estimate is perhaps two to three more days,” Bobby said.
Director of Haji Hospital Medan Yulinda Elvi Nasution explained that the patient is experiencing severe, recurring abdominal pain.
“Feeling pain in the stomach. Before that, pain, pain, very painful. Then the doctor added analgesics, injected, and only then did the patient calm down. Every half an hour like that, when the pain is too severe,” Yulinda said.
According to her, the MBG poisoning patient arrived at Haji Hospital Medan on Friday (14/8) at 13.30 WIB and remains under intensive monitoring.
The medical team will also conduct further laboratory examinations to determine the progression of the patient’s condition.
“We still want to examine the lab results further, as they were only just checked from there. Perhaps tomorrow we will have new lab results,” Yulinda concluded.