The Department of Paediatrics & Neonatology at Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital and Research Centre (JLNHRC), SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant, successfully commemorated World Breastfeeding Week from 1st to 7th August 2025. The observance was held under the global theme “Prioritise Breastfeeding – Create Sustainable Support System”, aiming to promote awareness, eliminate misconceptions related to breastfeeding, and cultivate a supportive ecosystem for nursing mothers.

The week-long campaign was formally inaugurated by Dr Ravindranath M., Executive Director (Medical & Health Services), through the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and the unveiling of a theme-based poster exhibition. The event was attended by all Chief Medical Officers, highlighting the institutional commitment to maternal and child health.
As part of the inaugural function, resident doctors from the Department of Paediatrics staged an educational skit to emphasize the importance of breastfeeding, followed by testimonial sharing from parents who had benefitted from JLNHRC’s comprehensive breastfeeding support policies.

Parallel celebrations were initiated at Rajhara Mines Hospital, where an awareness programme was led by Dr Kaushik Kishore, Deputy CMO, marking the beginning of their week-long outreach efforts.
Throughout the week, structured awareness sessions were conducted across key clinical areas such as the Neonatal and Paediatrics Wards, Obstetrics Ward, and the Paediatrics Outpatient Department. These sessions focused on educating both patients and healthcare staff, ensuring the message reached a wide institutional audience.

A key highlight of the week was a community outreach programme held on 6th August at Government Girls’ PG College, Durg, under the aegis of BSP’s CSR initiative “Mission Laxmi.” The session featured engaging talks by Dr Sambita Panda, Additional CMO and Head of Department (Paediatrics), and Dr Subhasmita Pattanayak, Senior Consultant, who addressed undergraduate and postgraduate students on sustainable breastfeeding practices and debunked prevalent myths surrounding lactation.
The week concluded with an academic seminar on “Lactation Management”, conducted for the benefit of contractual nursing staff. The session was steered by Dr Mala Chaudhary, Senior Consultant, and delivered by paediatrics residents, providing practical training and clinical insights into effective lactation support.
All events and activities were organised under the leadership of Dr Sambita Panda, ACMO & HoD (Paediatrics), and executed with the active support and guidance of Dr Ravindranath M., ED (M&HS), and CMOs Dr Vineeta Dwivedi, Dr Kaushalendra Thakur, Dr Sourav Mukherjee, and Dr Uday Kumar.
Crucial contributions came from Dr Subodh Saha, ACMO and Neonatal ICU In-Charge, along with senior consultants Dr Meeta Sachdev, Dr Nootan Kumar Verma, Dr Kaushik Kishore, Dr Mala Chaudhary, Dr Subhasmita Pattanayak, Dr Ruchika Tamrakar, and Dr Anand Mohan Vishwakarma, all of whom played integral roles in planning and implementation of the week-long programme.

*********

(Release ID: 2153853) Visitor Counter : 9