Tuen Mun Hospital accredited as Baby Friendly Hospital
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) today (December 17) announced that Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) has become the sixth public hospital accredited as a Baby Friendly Hospital. Despite the COVID-19 epidemic, the breastfeeding rate in TMH has increased and achieved the encouraging result of over 80 per cent.
The Chairman of the HA Coordinating Committee in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G), Dr Au Yeung Kam-chuen, said, “The HA has pledged full support to breastfeeding. The eight public hospitals with O&G departments have been actively participating in the preparation for receiving Baby Friendly Hospital accreditation, aiming at building a breastfeeding-friendly environment through the enhancement of hospital facilities, training healthcare workers and organising breastfeeding promotional activities.”
TMH commenced its preparation for accreditation in 2016. The TMH working group on Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative was established in the same year to formulate hospital policy and an action plan to promote breastfeeding. Various promotion initiatives include strengthening antenatal education and organising breastfeeding classes to provide expectant mothers with relevant knowledge and counselling services. World Breastfeeding Week has been organised every year to raise public awareness of breastfeeding. TMH is also committed to training staff of various disciplines and improving breastfeeding facilities in the hospital. Under the epidemic situation, TMH has continued to organise online antenatal and breastfeeding talks to provide training and support to pregnant women and mothers.
“During the epidemic, other than general consultations, our healthcare workers also address concerns of expectant mothers and new mothers towards the disease and vaccination. Healthcare workers especially encourage mothers to get vaccinated to protect themselves and to transfer antibodies to their babies through breast milk,” Dr Au Yeung Kam-chuen added. With the implementation of a series of infection control measures, the O&G units of the HA have also resumed the labour-accompanying arrangement on a limited scale to make the delivery process more holistic for expectant mothers.
Other than TMH, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and Kwong Wah Hospital have already completed the accreditation. The remaining two hospitals are expected to complete their Baby Friendly Hospital accreditation by next year.