Nearly 800 Indonesians have fallen ill in separate food poisoning incidents linked to the government’s free meals programme, according to a member of a parliamentary commission overseeing health.
The figure includes more than 500 students in East Java who fell ill this week.
President Prabowo Subianto launched the multibillion-dollar programme last year to tackle under-nutrition by providing free meals to tens of millions of children.
However, the programme has faced a series of controversies, including mass food poisoning, allegations of corruption, leadership changes and its substantial cost.
Aside from the 512 students who fell ill in Sidoarjo, East Java, 49 people suffered food poisoning in the city of Nganjuk, also in East Java, while another 237 were affected in Agam, West Sumatra.
Charles Honoris, a lawmaker and member of the only political party outside the governing coalition, cited local health department data in making the claim on Instagram on Wednesday.
He said the incidents were not isolated cases.
“This is a failure of the system,” he said.
Agency suspends kitchen linked to Sidoarjo case
The National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the $12.94 billion programme, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawmaker’s post.
The agency suspended the kitchen linked to the Sidoarjo incident on Wednesday.
There have been several outbreaks of mass food poisoning associated with the free meals programme.
Network for Education Watch, a non-governmental watchdog, reported that 37,600 individuals had been affected as of August 8.
Food storage and delivery cited as causes
Authorities have said improper food storage and delays in delivering cooked meals are often responsible for food poisoning incidents.
A survey conducted by pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting in July found that only one-third of people were satisfied with the programme.
Reported food poisoning cases were cited as a major reason for the low level of satisfaction.
