Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said his ministry is ready to provide assistance for the further hospital treatment of Muhammad Kenzi Alfaro (Kenzi), a toddler from Bekasi District, West Java, who is obese for his age.
“Overweight must be treated. It will be covered by the National Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Health). I will convey this matter to the Bekasi Health Service specifically,” he informed during a visit to an integrated health post (posyandu) in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.
The minister said that he will get in touch with the head of the Bekasi Health Service and ask him to monitor the case and provide further treatment to 16-month-old Kenzi, who currently weighs 27 kilograms.
“If BPJS Health will not cover the treatment, we will help it,” he added.
Kenzi has received intensive outpatient care from health workers since December 2022.
His case went viral on social media given his abnormal weight for his age, which stood at 26.9 kilograms when he was registered by health workers in December 2022 and made it difficult for his parents to carry him.
“Earlier, the case has been handled by our health workers. The community health center (puskesmas) had referred him to a hospital as active BPJS Health participant status,” head of the public health division of the Bekasi District Health Service, Supriadinata, informed in Cikarang.
Local health authorities learned of Kenzi’s obesity after his parents visited the Setyamulya integrated health post (posyandu) in Pusaka Rakyat village in December 2022.
Kenzi weighed 4.5 kilograms at birth and measured 48 centimeters from top to toe.
On December 16, 2022, midwives from the village began to carry out routine checks at Kenzi’s parents’ house, accompanied by nutrition workers (TPG).
Then, on December 20, TPG officers and posyandu cadres brought Kenzi and his mother to the Setiamulya puskesmas, where he was examined by a doctor and referred to Ananda Babelan Hospital for further treatment.
Since then Kenzi is required to get outpatient care to lose weight and undergo routine checks at Hermina Bekasi Hospital.
Source: Antara News