Two Children with Severe Malnutrition from Free Nutritious Meal Program Referred to Jakarta

Two female students who are victims of poisoning from the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, have been referred to a hospital in Jakarta for further treatment. Both students, Febiona and Agnesia, departed from Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang Regency on Saturday (12/9). North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution stated that the referral to Jakarta was made after Vice President (Wapres) Gibran Rakabuming Raka requested that the two receive special handling. According to him, the two students had already received treatment from a medical team in North Sumatra. However, it was deemed that they required further care due to experiencing more severe psychological conditions compared to other victims. "Actually, from a medical handling perspective, our medical team in Medan is very capable. However, during the Vice President's visit, he conveyed that all handling would be directly monitored by the Vice President," said Bobby after seeing off the two students at Kualanamu Airport. Bobby explained that a medical team from North Sumatra would also accompany Febiona and Agnesia during their treatment in Jakarta. This accompaniment is intended to ensure that the recovery process of the two victims remains coordinated with the medical team that previously treated them in North Sumatra. He emphasized that the victims' recovery process should not only focus on physical health but also on the mental and psychological well-being of the affected children. "So, for children who have medical indications and higher trauma than their other friends, the Vice President directly asked for them to be brought to Jakarta, and our medical team also departed to Jakarta. This is upon the Vice President's order," he stated. A total of 353 students in Karo Regency experienced poisoning after consuming MBG at school on August 13, 2026. The victims began to feel symptoms several hours after consuming the food distributed under the MBG program. Among the hundreds of students affected, the conditions of Febiona and Agnesia still require special attention. Febiona reportedly suffers from memory loss and convulsions, while Agnesia is said to have kidney problems.