Sibu Hospital continues to promote breastfeeding to keep baby-friendly status
SIBU: Sibu Hospital’s babyfriendly status is due for assessment for the sixth time this December, says its director Dr Ngian Hie Ung.
According to her, the hospital is assessed every three years by external assessors and was first accredited in 2002.
She mentioned that it was the requirement for all hospitals under Ministry of Health ( MOH) to be baby- friendly hospitals – those promoting breastfeeding.
“It has an assessment, where we have to fulfil certain criteria and policy.
“They (external assessors) will check to determine if the hospital complies with the policy or not, and the assessment is due end of this year,” Dr Ngian told a press conference on promoting breastfeeding here yesterday.
She pointed out that the hospital’s part in term of breastfeeding initiative was to attain the baby-friendly hospital status.
“That means we only promote breastfeeding.”
Adding on, she said they had professional training for their staff members to ensure that the hospital would continue to be a baby-friendly hospital, adding that the programme was also open for support group.
Touching on the hospital breastfeeding policy, she said this included national and hospital breastfeeding policies where all hospital staff members must be aware of and inform public on their implementation at Sibu Hospital.
Under the national breastfeeding policy, all mothers are encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of life and to continue breastfeeding until the age of two years, with complementary food to be introduced at the age of six months.
Other policies include training for hospital personnel, education on breastfeeding for all pregnant women, early initiation of breastfeeding, showing mothers how to breastfeed and maintain lactation, exclusive breastfeeding, rooming-in for breastfeed mothers, breastfeeding on demand, no artificial teats or pacifiers allowed, ongoing help through breastfeeding support group, code of ethics for the marketing of infant foods and related products, mother-friendly care and mothers with HIV infection.
Dr Ngian also highlighted ‘ mother- friendly care policy’ which encouraged women to have companions of their choice to provide continual physical and/or emotional support during labour and birth, as desired.
In addition, allowing women to drink and eat light food during labour, as desired.
She also touched on encouraging women to consider the use of non- drug methods for pain relief unless analgesic or anaesthetic drugs that were necessary due to complications, respecting the personal preferences of the women.
She also talked about encouraging women to walk and move about during labour, if desired, unless a restriction was specifically required for a complication and the reason would be explained to them.
“Then, there is providing care that does not involve invasive procedures such as rupture of the membranes, episiotomies acceleration or induction of labour, instrumental deliveries, or Caesarean sections unless specifically indicated and the reasons are explained to them,” said Dr Ngian.
Sibu Hospital paediatrician Dr Toh Teck Hock and head of Sibu Breastfeeding Women Support Group Dayang Normaliza Awang Tambi were among those present.