DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Karo student develops memory problems allegedly linked to free school meal, Bobby responds

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Febiona Purba, 16, became ill after eating a free nutritious meal at school on Aug. 13 and has since received treatment at five hospitals.
  • Her mother said Febiona later developed repeated seizures, difficulty speaking and memory loss, including failing to recognize teachers, friends and her sibling.
  • Doctors at Adam Malik Hospital have conducted specialist examinations and an EEG but have not yet confirmed a diagnosis or cause.

Febiona Purba, a 16-year-old vocational-school student in Karo, North Sumatra, has developed severe memory problems after initially falling ill following a free nutritious meal at school. She is now receiving follow-up treatment at Adam Malik Hospital in Medan after more than three weeks of moving between hospitals.

Her mother, Elvinus Lusiana Sitanggang, said Febiona ate a meal containing skipjack tuna on Aug. 13. After returning home, the girl complained of dizziness and an itchy body, then vomited. Her condition later worsened. Her mother said Febiona experienced repeated seizures, sometimes lasting up to 10 minutes, and became difficult to understand when speaking.

They were given a free nutritious meal, with skipjack tuna. After eating it, my child went home and said she felt dizzy, her body itched and she vomited.

· Elvinus Lusiana SitanggangFebiona’s mother described the symptoms that followed the school meal.

The family said she has also lost her memory for almost a month. When classmates and teachers visited, Febiona reportedly did not recognize them. She also failed to recognize her younger sibling. Her family is seeking treatment that will help her recover and return to school. Febiona had been a high-achieving student and served as deputy head of her school’s student council.

My child has now been treated at five hospitals. She often has seizures, which can last up to 10 minutes, and now she has difficulty speaking.

· Elvinus Lusiana SitanggangShe described the deterioration in her daughter’s condition.

Rosario Dorothy Simanjuntak, a spokesperson for Adam Malik Hospital, said Febiona had attended the hospital’s outpatient clinic three times, on Aug. 31, Sept. 7 and Sept. 8. Specialists in pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric neurology and psychiatry examined her, and doctors also carried out an electroencephalography test.

The hospital said its medical team had not yet established a diagnosis or confirmed the cause of Febiona’s condition. Doctors were continuing to evaluate her before drawing conclusions.

When her classmates and teachers came to visit, she did not recognize them.

· Elvinus Lusiana SitanggangThe mother described Febiona’s memory loss.
About this summary

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog