Lagos – Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode on Friday urged nursing mothers to observe the mandatory exclusive breastfeeding period of six months to make their babies healthy and good looking.
Ambode made the appeal during her goodwill visit to public hospitals to welcome the First Baby of the Year 2016, organised by the state government.
Speaking as she received the first baby of the year, Ambode said one of the greatest gifts of God to humanity was the birth of a new baby and the baby should be properly catered for.
”Mothers should embrace exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life because babies are more vulnerable in the first six months of life and required adequate care for proper growth and development.
”This will not only make the baby healthy and strong, it will also help reduce unnecessary spending on health issues, ” she said.
Ambode also tasked mothers on prompt registration of birth to aid data collation and policy formulation on health.
She also congratulated the health family for the re-appointment of Dr Jide Idris as the Commissioner for Health and Dr Femi Onanuga as Special Adviser on Primary Healthcare, saying the duo were crusaders of change in the health sector.
She expressed optimism that their wealth of experience had been brought to bear in the delivery of qualitative healthcare and upgrade of facilities in the general hospitals and healthcare centres in the state.
She also commended corporate organisations and individuals who had continued to support the health family over the years as part of their corporate social responsibility.
”I urged others organisations, NGOs to emulate the good gesture to boost the healthcare delivery system in the state, ” Ambode said.
Also speaking, Dr Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health noted that there had been tremendous improvements in the health services of the state through the adoption of solid strategies and interventions.
Idris urge mothers to make use of the available hospital services by attending ante-natal and post-natal care, immunisation, and imbibe good diet and hygiene.
He also called on mothers to access family planning services at the primary health centres for adequate child spacing and survival, to reduce infant mortality.
A baby girl was delivered, weighing 3.25kg at 12:01a.m. to the Bright family, through normal delivery at the the Epe General Hospital, Baby Bright emerged as Baby of the Year 2016.
A baby boy, weighing 3.25kg, was also born to the Okunowo family at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital at 12:01 a.m.
Following closely was the Adeleke family who also had a baby girl at 12:03 a.m. at Ibeju-Lekki General Hospital.
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Ambode also presented gifts to the mothers and their babies at the hospitals.(NAN).
