Nutrition, officials and the people

Nutrition, officials and the people

From Kompas

Some time ago the media published news about President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's health; he was reported to be suffering from a common cold. The President's spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said the doctor had advised him to rest. Colds can affect anybody, from a common person to a high-ranking official.

A scavenger who each day breathes in polluted air while picking through piles of garbage certainly has a greater risk of catching an illness. On the other hand, a person who works in an agreeable, air-conditioned room and lives in a luxurious house with a swimming pool will have less of a chance of being infected with some illness.

But why does hospital treatment remain so costly, making it virtually unaffordable for the poor?

I think it appropriate here to appeal to our President, during Ramadhan, to break the fast together or have predawn meals with slum dwellers. This kind of togetherness has become common practice among the nation's dignitaries and those in the upper classes in previous Ramadhans. The same should also be true with the President's aides.

By so doing, they would realize that the quality of food they eat is considerably different from that served in the homes of the less fortunate. Remember: "Together (with SBY) we keep going."

YON HOTMAN Jakarta