Gibran Departs for Batang, Aiming to Ensure Optimal Handling of MBG Poisoning Victims
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Vice President Gibran Rakabuming departed for Batang Regency, Central Java, on Monday (28/9/2026).
Gibran aims to ensure that the handling of victims of suspected food poisoning from the free nutritious food program (MBG) in Bawang District is optimal.
He emphasized the importance of health care for the victims, assurance for families, expedited investigations, and strengthened food safety supervision.
“I am here today to ensure the victims are well cared for, families receive certainty, investigations are completed, and supervision is strengthened,” Gibran stated in his remarks on Monday.
The former mayor of Solo stressed that the health care of the victims must be the top priority.
According to him, all patients still receiving treatment should continue to receive care until they recover.
He also highlighted that victims who have been allowed to return home but are still experiencing complaints must continue to have access to medical examinations and further treatment.
In addition to ensuring health services, the government will also guarantee all medical costs for the victims so as not to burden their families.
For this reason, he indicated that the financing mechanism must be ensured to function properly across all health facilities caring for the victims.
Regarding the cause of the alleged poisoning, Gibran stated that the investigation process is still ongoing.
He urged that the investigation be concluded swiftly and the results be transparently communicated to the public for collective evaluation and shared learning.
“The cause of the incident is still under investigation. However, the investigation must be completed quickly, and its results should be communicated transparently so that it can serve as a shared learning experience,” the Vice President said.
On another note, he also emphasized the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the MBG program, particularly regarding food safety oversight.
This evaluation should include compliance with hygiene standards, processing times, storage, distribution, and direct supervision in the field.
“The evaluation must be comprehensive, food safety standards must be ensured, and any findings must be immediately addressed. We want this priority program of the President to provide maximum benefit with food safety and quality as priorities,” Gibran asserted.
As a point of information, the number of victims suspected of food poisoning after consuming food from the free nutritious food program (MBG) in Bawang District, Batang Regency, reached 521 as of Friday (25/9/2026) at 1:00 PM WIB.
This data was provided by the Deputy Head of Batang and Head of the MBG Task Force, Suyono.
Of the total 521 patients, 173 have been referred to several health facilities, 326 are receiving outpatient care, while 23 remain hospitalized at the Bawang Health Center.
“Yes, it has increased; that is the latest data update for today,” he said when contacted by Kompas.com via phone on Friday evening (25/9/2026).
Details of patients receiving care at various health facilities include 66 at Batang Regional Hospital, 41 at Limpung Regional Hospital, 11 at Subah Health Center, and 5 at Gringsing 1 Health Center.
