DUBAI — In the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) today celebrated the Baby Friendly Hospital status given to Al Wasl Hospital by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at a ceremony held at the Dubai-based hospital.
Also in attendance were Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, Lara Hussein, Officer in Charge of UNICEF Gulf Area Office (GAO) and Chief, Child Protection as well as CEO’s and Directors from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). As part of the ceremony, HRH Princess Haya and HE Al Murooshid accompanied Ms. Hussein on stage as she presented the Baby Friendly Hospital certificate from UNICEF to Dr. Abdullah Khayat, CEO of Al Wasl Hospital.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), launched in 1991, is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to encourage and implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
This global effort ensures that all maternities, whether free standing or in a hospital, become centres of breastfeeding support. In order to be recognized as a Baby-Friendly Hospital, 10 specific steps to support successful breastfeeding must be implemented, some of which include formal training, educating mothers-to-be and establishing lactation clinics to encourage more women to breastfeed their babies.
Al Murooshid praised the efforts of HRH Princess Haya not only in supporting the development of children at a local, regional and global level but also improving the quality of health services provided to children through various initiatives. He also praised the active role played by UNICEF in raising awareness among mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding, which is considered the most effective means to protect babies against various diseases.
“We are honored to receive this title as it is a globally recognized symbol of world-class maternity care,” stated Al Murooshid. “This title is a gold standard for hospitals and we are proud to have achieved this by fulfilling the rigorous process and highest standards of care demanded by BFHI.
We, at the DHA, are committed to providing the highest quality of care and as a result, Al Wasl Hospital has based its policies, processes and systems with regards to breastfeeding on international standards required by UNICEF and WHO.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Al Khayat said, “By committing to the highest standards demanded by UNICEF and WHO to achieve this title, Al Wasl Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing globally recognised standards of care.
Protecting the child is the first instinct of the mother and breastfeeding has several benefits as it works like a vaccine to protect the child from many diseases. At Al Wasl Hospital, we have developed several policies for breastfeeding support and we are proud that our efforts have been recognised.”
He also highlighted that among the various steps taken, the Hospital focuses on the initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth and provides mothers with assistance on how to initiate and continue successful breastfeeding. Dr. Al Khayat stressed the importance of the Hospital’s partnership with UNICEF to organise activities that effectively promote and encourage mothers to breastfeed their infants.
In her speech, Lara Hussein congratulated DHA and Al Wasl Hospital for their achievement. She highlighted the need to continue promoting the concept of exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months of their lives.
“The UAE remains committed to adhering to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC) by providing a high level of health for their children. The BFHI aims to encourage international hospitals to provide services focused on the needs of the mother and her unborn child and to encourage breastfeeding, which is the best possible start to life that a mother can give her child.”
She also highlighted the role played by UNICEF to encourage the practise of exclusive breastfeeding by working with governments and communities to support legislation and enhance resources that are provided to new mothers at the community level to encourage breastfeeding.
Hussein said that since the inception of the BFHI in 1991, 171 countries across the world have maternity centres that have achieved this status. The initiative has also helped increase the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding at birth to 92.2% and breastfeeding at the age of three months to 52.9%.
Rajakumari Ravikumar, Director of Nursing at Al Wasl Hospital gave a presentation that highlighted the various efforts taken by the hospital to achieve this status. At the end of the ceremony, HRH Princess Haya and HE Al Murooshid presented certificates to the Baby Friendly Hospital evaluation committee and to the Al Wasl Hospital team for their efforts in achieving such an outstanding status.
After the ceremony, HRH Princess Haya was escorted by HE Al Murooshid and Dr. Al Khayat on a tour of Al Wasl Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, the VIP Al Bustan VIP Suites and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
WAM