Banswada MCH becomes India’s first breastfeeding friendly government hospital
HYDERABAD: The Mother and Children Hospital in Banswada, located in the Kamareddy district, has become the first hospital in India to be awarded the ‘Breastfeeding Friendly Hospital’ accreditation for successfully implementing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 10-step criteria for breastfeeding.
In addition to the WHO’s criteria, the Central government has also implemented a special programme called Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA) to promote breastfeeding, and hospitals that meet the criteria of both programmes are jointly selected by UNICEF, the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), and the Association of Health Providers India (AHPI), and are given accreditation by the Breastfeed Friendly Hospital Initiative. Banswada MCH has been granted accreditation after passing two rounds of inspection and meeting all the criteria. The accreditation is valid from February 17, 2013, to February 16, 2026, for a period of three years.
Currently, only four hospitals in India, both public and private, have received the BFHI accreditation. The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India has also trained 35 people and appointed some voluntary lactation workers, the first of their kind in the country, who educate pregnant and lactating women about the benefits of breast milk and provide milk to babies within 30 minutes of birth.Health Minister T Harish Rao congratulated the medical staff of the hospital and stated that this award is another proof of the quality medical services.