Five more hospitals certified as ‘baby-friendly’

Aug 19, 2016 News

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Five more hospitals have been added to the list of baby-friendly hospitals in the country having been officially certified by the Ministry of Public Health. The newly certified hospitals are: Suddie, Oscar Joseph (Region Two),

Georgetown Public Hospital (Region Four) and New Amsterdam and Skeldon (Region Six).
The hospitals were certified yesterday at a forum held at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown.
The process of attaining the baby-friendly status is one that was closely supported by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). Both entities were represented at yesterday’s forum in the person of PAHO/WHO Resident Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, and Ms. Cornelly McAlmont (UNICEF).
The certification of the hospitals comes as part of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) programme. The BFHI was launched by the World Health Organisation in 1991 and is a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Among the key players who helped the local hospitals to gain this status was Ms. Paula Trotter, International Lead Consultation of the BFHI Assessment. Yesterday, she commended the representatives of the hospitals for the efforts that were plugged into realising this goal and noted that they embraced the recommendations shared very well. She also outlined a number of recommendations that will ensure that they retain the measures that will keep them baby-friendly.
Speaking at the forum yesterday, National Breastfeeding Coordinator, Ms. Ninian Blair, underscored the importance of breastfeeding by stressing that “the first hour of a baby’s life is important for the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.”
It is this period, she explained, that an emotional bond is established between mother and baby. But according to her, delays in the initiation of breastfeeding after the first hour could in fact increase a lot of risks.
In emphasising that “breast is best”, she added that “breast milk is a perfect food, it cannot be duplicated and there is no tin or bottle or anything that can duplicate it. It actually alters its composition to meet the changing needs of a growing infant.”
In fact, Blair underscored yesterday that the breast milk is so special that a mother who gives birth to a pre-term baby has milk that is different from a mother who gives birth to a full term baby.
Blair, moreover, amplified the need for health care workers to continuously help mothers on the wards to ensure that breastfeeding is done.
Delivering remarks yesterday at the forum was Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who noted that “in the very near future we can look forward to all of our hospitals fulfilling the criteria and the standards set out so that they can become baby-friendly.”
He disclosed that Government will work towards ensuring that all hospitals that facilitate deliveries will become baby-friendly, whereby mothers make the best choice – to breastfeed their babies.
He pointed out that the overall objection of the breastfeeding project, from its inception, is to improve the health of infants through breastfeeding. He noted that the programme has been revised and updated to re-enforce the international code of marketing of breast milk substitutes, support mothers who are not breastfeeding, produce modules on HIV and infant feeding and mother-friendly care, while at the same time giving more guidance and monitoring for assessment. The Minister highlighted that the BFHI is guided by international standards put forward by WHO and UNICEF.
He noted too that while some might seek to question the evaluation of the programme in the various centres, it was in fact spearheaded by someone (Ms. Trotter) who was able to undertake the necessary assessments as accurate as possible.
“We are totally satisfied with the results,” said Minister Norton, as he added “we are forever grateful to our international partners for their support and contributions which aid in the improvement of health care in our dear country.”
Earlier this year, the Ministry had announced that six out of 12 hospitals were assessed as baby-friendly. The hospitals previously assessed were: West Demerara Regional (Region Three), Upper Demerara (Region 10), Davis Memorial, Mahaicony Cottage Hospital (Region Five), Mahdia District (Region Eight) and Lethem Regional (Region Nine).
The assessments of the certified hospitals occurred during the period February to March 2015. A total of 12 out of 19 hospitals in the BFHI programme had signalled their readiness to be assessed for the status, but only six had measures in place to be certified earlier this year.
According to information out of the Ministry, the hospitals were assessed by an External Assessment Team recruited by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to determine their eligibility to be awarded the baby-friendly status. But the Ministry of Health is hopeful that with yesterday’s certification, other hospitals will soon seek after the baby-friendly status too.
At yesterday’s forum, too, Minister Norton was presented with a final report of the External Assessment of the BFHI programme.

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