Room dedicated for breastfeeding used as a storeroom

Aurangabad: In a callous display by the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the

breastfeeding

room inaugurated by women and child welfare committee chairperson on March 8, 2017, has been reduced to a

storeroom

. The room located in the premises of AMC building was meant for lactating women to feed their baby in privacy as per the guidelines of the state government.

Keeping in mind the difficulties new mothers face while breastfeeding their infants, the civic body had dedicated an enclosure or the ‘hirkani kaksha’ for the purpose. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, erstwhile chairperson of AMC’s women and child welfare committee Archana Nilkanth had inaugurated the room near the parking of AMC building. The room was installed with sofas, curtains, fan and toys for the convenience of the users.

However, the room never fulfilled its purpose as has been locked ever since. Also, there is no caretaker available or any contact details given through which women can get it opened for use. Over the time, due to the mismanagement of the civic body, the room has merely become a formality and is now stuffed with chests and other items leaving no space for anyone to sit in. It is also covered in dust and as it has not cleaned in a long time.

Women welfare activist Renuka Kad terms this callousness as a violation of the rights of women and children. “Though there are no obligations as such but the breastfeeding policy of the government underline that the lactating mothers and infants should get the privacy and space for dignified breastfeeding. The AMC should ensure that the room dedicated for the purpose is well maintained and is available for use,” Kad said.

Ironically, the civic body’s health department is celebrating breastfeeding awareness week from August 1 to 7 by promoting breastfeeding by mothers.

According to the National Breastfeeding Promotion Programme in India, poor breastfeeding practices contribute to 20 per cent of neonatal deaths and nearly 13 per cent of deaths in children below five years. It also states that if all children receive the benefits of breastfeeding, 1,56,000 child deaths can be reduced in India every year.

When asked, AMC’s women and child welfare committee chairperson Madhuri Adwant Deshmukh blamed the carelessness of the concerned civic employees for poor management of the breastfeeding room.

“I will personally follow up on Monday to see to it that the room is cleaned and made available for use by needful women and children,” Adwant said.