45 pc deliveries in Telangana govt hospitals through c-section

HYDERABAD: The first hour of mother's milk given to a baby is equivalent to a vaccination, said Telangana Health Minister Harish Rao.

While speaking at the inauguration of a Mother's Milk Bank at Petla Burj Government Hospital in Hyderabad on Friday, he said that there was nothing better than breastfeeding and that it could not be compared to anything else.

He stated that a milk bank had been established in Petla Burj to provide breast milk to children who spend days at NSU as part of WHO's World Breastfeeding Week celebrations. According to the minister, these programmes are being organised to raise awareness among mothers.

Only 36 percent of infants are breastfed in the first hour, according to Harish Rao, who also expressed concern about the fact that 64 percent of infants do not receive mother's milk in the first hour. "The children are fed formula milk due to lack of awareness among mothers and cesareans," he said, adding that awareness should be raised about normal delivery.

According to the minister, ANMs, Asha workers and sarpanchs are educating villages about the importance of World Breastfeeding Week. He stated that the number of deliveries in government hospitals had increased since Telangana's formation. Rao stated that 45 percent of C sections were performed in state government hospitals, with the remaining 55 percent being normal deliveries.

He cited the fact that Telangana had higher maternal mortality rates than Tamil Nadu and gave the medical staff a Rs 3000 incentive for a normal delivery. The minister urged everyone to work together to build a healthy state.