Dinda Naraya Begjani (Intern), Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) chairperson Muhammad Isnur in a press statement on Tuesday criticized the government over what the organization believes to be a sluggish response in mitigating the acute kidney injury cases suffered by hundreds of children in the country.
"This case of acute kidney injury began to appear in July but unfortunately the government only responded at the end of October 2022. In this case, YLBHI assessed that the government was slow to respond to the case which further endangered children's welfare," Isnur said on October 25.
Apart from suggesting effective prevention measures, YLBHI must be able to present alternative medications instead of banning certain syrup medicines – which are strongly believed to be the source of toxins consumed by numerous children.
By emphasizing Article 44 of the Child Protection Act, Isnur urged the government to investigate pharmaceutical brands that contain Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene Glycol, which are hazardous chemicals if consumed over the daily intake limit.
YLBHI also called for authorities to enforce the law against the pharma companies that may have violated the health requirements set by the government.
"Families of victims can demand compensation against manufacturers and providers of liquid or syrup medicines. [They can also demand compensation] from the government due to negligence in supervising, resulting in the loss of citizens' lives" he added.