LAHORE - Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid inaugurated Global Breastfeeding Week 2020 for Punjab at the Planning and Development Department here on Wednesday.
Present on the occasion were Secretary Population Welfare Ali Bahadur Qazi, Principal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Prof Mehmud Ayaz, Dean Institute of Public Health Dr Zarfishan Tahir, Executive Director (Health) P&D Dr. Sohail Saqlain, Professor of Gynae Dr. Rubina Suhail, WHO representative Dr. Yahya Gulzar and senior officials from other departments. Dr. Sohail Saqlain highlighted the significance of breastfeeding and its impact on child.
Punjab Health Minister said, “Breastfeeding is of paramount importance for the health of a child. Role of Ulema is crucial in creating awareness about breastfeeding. This is one major factor behind our problem of stunted growth. Our Health Department (s) are taking steps to promote breastfeeding. We need to start an awareness campaign to promote breastfeeding. We are facilitating mothers at their workplaces and offices. For healthy life of a person, mother feed is extremely important.”
She further said, “Lack of breast feeding also causes iron deficiencies among mothers. There has to be regular counseling of mothers to promote breast feeding as it also boosts immunity of children. First two years of child are very important. Prime Minister Imran Khan had highlighted mother and child health in his first speech. We are developing state of the art mother and child hospitals in Punjab.”
She also said that Punjab has battled Corona virus with great hard work. She said Punjab has hired 30,000 doctors on merit and efforts are on to provide all out facilities for patients.