HYDERABAD
Finance and Health Minister T. Harish Rao called upon the lactating mothers to feed breast milk - colostrum- in the golden hour stating that it would save the health of both the mother and the new born baby.
Participating in the International Mother Milk Week celebrations, which commenced in Gajwel of Siddipet district on Monday, Mr. Harish Rao said that breast feeding in the first one hour of the birth of the new born will act as vaccine and it would protect their health for long period.
“Do not depend on canned milk. Mother’s milk should be our slogan. Asha and Anaganwadi workers should play key role in building healthy society and create awareness on the importance of breast feed,” said Mr. Harish Rao addressing a gathering. Informing that only 41 of the new born are able to get colostrum whereas Bangladesh is in top of the world in feeding breast milk in the first one hour, the Minister said that Mother’s Milk Banks are in place in Hyderabad, Warangal and Khammam. He said that in the country, only 36% new born babies are able to get breast milk stating that C section was one of reason for not feeding the new born with mother’s milk and Telangana has been trying to reduce C sections by increasing the number of institutional deliveries.
“Lakhs of children are dying every years with pneumonia. Similarly, several mothers are dying due to breast cancer and ovary cancer. We can prevent these deaths by seeing to it that breast milk is fed to new born babies,” said Mr. Harish Rao urging the medical staff to focus on creating awareness among the public.
The programme held at Mahathi Auditorium at Gajwel .
Later in the day, the Minister has participated in the inauguration of Rytu Vedika and double bedroom houses at Dommata.
Lok Sabha member K. Prabhakar Reddy, MLA M. Raghunandan Rao, MLCs Farooq Hussain, Dr. Yadava Reddy, ZP chairperson V. Roja Sharma and others have participated in the programme. E
