Cebu City – “The challenge at hand is to make mother-baby friendly hospital initiative really work in your respective hospitals. While there are already laws that support this, its successful implementation rests on your hands” said NPC Parolita A. Mission as she challenged the participants in her message during the opening program of the 1st batch of Training on Lactation Management. She added that lactation management training for hospitals is needed especially with their relevant contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals of reducing infant and maternal mortality. The training conducted by Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for the National Nutrition Council was held on 5-9 March 2012 at the DepEd Ecotech Center, Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City.

Lactation Management Training is a 40 hour course for clinicians to promote the mother-baby friendly hospital initiative that leads to the promotion, protection and support to appropriate infant and young child feeding practices. The one week training involves 35.5 hours lecture and 4.5 hours practicum. Topics included the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program, Anatomy of the Breast, Lactation Amenorrhea Method, Human Milk Composition, Breastfeeding including the myths and fallacies, RA 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, EO 51 or the  Philippine Milk Code, Revitalization of the MBFHI, Infant and Young Child Nutrition, Infant Feeding during Emergencies, to name a few.

VSMMC, one of the training institutes in the country to conduct training on Lactation Management was chosen by NNC to manage the training because the Medical Center shares with NNC the common goal of promoting the practice of exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate infant feeding practices and has signified its willingness to support NNC in its campaign on good nutrition.

The 1^st batch of training was attended by representatives from seven hospitals in Cebu namely: Perpetual Succour Hospital, Cebu Velez General Hospital, St. Vincent General Hospital, Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House, Visayas Community Medical Center, Sacred Heart Hospital and Vicente Gullas Memorial Hospital. Attendees included dietitians, pediatricians, Obstetrician-Gynecologists and nurses holding permanent positions. Permanent hospital staff were required to help ensure sustainability of the program.

The training team include VSMMC personnel composed of pediatricians, obstetricians, nurse-supervisors, a nutritionist and a pharmacist who attended the TOT last year. Three medical consultants specifically Drs. Ramon Najarro, Belinda Panares and Rosita Galdo are also involved in the training.

The 2nd batch of training will held on 12-16 March 2012 while the 3^rd and 4^th batch will be on 9-13 and 23-27 April 2012, respectively. Eight batches will be held on May, six for June, five in July, seven in August, six in September, five in October and four in November to cover the targeted 49 batches involving 1,472 participants in 460 hospitals covering 25 provinces in the country. // DFB