From left: Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Gabrielle Springer; Senior Nursing Officer with Responsibility for Women and Children Directorate, Marita Harris; and Director of the Nursing Services, Henderson Pinder receiving the certification from PAHO/WHO Representative to Barbados and the OECS, Dr. Godfrey Xuereb.
QEH supporting proper infant nutrition
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) was successful in gaining a Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative from PAHO/WHO yesterday morning and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Gabrielle Springer, assures that this is only the beginning as the Ministry acknowledges that there is still much to be done to improve the healthcare system of the island.
Springer’s comment came as she delivered a few remarks during the recertification ceremony, which was held at the QEH yesterday.
“This achievement is just the beginning. The Ministry of Health acknowledges that there is still much to be done. This includes the enabling of supportive environments – whether in the workplace, the community or at home – acceptance of breastmilk in nurseries and daycares and public education on the benefits of breastfeeding,” she said.
“The Ministry’s work plan for 2018 includes activities geared towards public awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and sensitisation of nursery and daycare owners and operators. These programmes, along with the continued work of the healthcare providers in the polyclinics and, of course, the QEH, should improve the national prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at three and six months of age.”
She noted that the new electronic health information system will enable data on child nutrition to become more accessible to managers and programme planners through the rollout of the Child Heath module at the QEH and in the polyclinics in 2018. She explained that MedData will facilitate monitoring and evaluation of the programmes aimed at improving infant feeding practices and hence, identify areas to be strengthened.
“The Ministry of Health remains committed to supporting the initiation and growth of infant nutrition in Barbados, in collaboration with the private sector and our NGO partners and will continue to develop and implement breastfeeding programmes and initiatives to improve the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding,” she said.
She formally thanked the members of the National Breastfeeding Committee, especially the Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation, as they continued to work admirably to promote breastfeeding in the community and raise awareness on the importance of early childhood nutrition.