Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 13: Intensified Diarrhoea Control fortnight was celebrated by Department of Paediatrics, Government Medical College Jammu & NRHM with great fervour and zeal at SMGS Hospital.
Multiple continuous activities were held comprising of daily health education camps in various Paediatric wards and OPD where all the available parents were educated regarding exclusive breast feeding for 6 months and later with complimentary feeding; hygienic practices to prevent water and food borne infections.
Dr Ghanshyam Dev, Principal and Dean GMC, Jammu was the chief guest while as Dr Dara Singh was guest of honour. The audience comprised of faculty members, para medical staff, medical students, nursing students, attendants and all lactating mothers in the nursery wards.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rekha Harish, Professor and Head Department of Paediatrics, who was also the chief organizer informed that 189 countries and United Nations pledged to fight poverty and promote healthy and sustainable development comprehensively by 2015 through Millennium Development Goals.
“We are not likely to attain these goals because of slow pace and huge unfinished task like poverty has gone down but even today 1/8 person sleeps hungry, under nutrition affects 1/4 of all children in world. Child mortality has decreased by 40% but still about 7 million under 5 children die per year mainly because of preventable diseases”, she said, adding “it is realized now that by protecting, promoting and supporting breast feeding all of us can contribute to each of 8 MDGS in a substantial way”.
An interactive seminar was also held. Dr Eshwarya spoke on Physiology of Lactation; Dr Sonam on Advantages of breast feeding and Dr Radhika on breast feeding in different situations. Poster competitions was also organized. Dr Sonam won the first prize in Medical & Miss Manjubala in paramedical section.