Sindh okays breastfeeding law, procurement of 60 ambulances

KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet met on Monday with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in chair, and approved the breastfeeding law to ensure breastfeeding of children for three years, and the procurement of 60 ambulances, including 30 mobile medical vans.The cabinet discussed and approved the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023.

Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said that it was expedient to ensure safe and adequate nutrition for infants and young children up to the age of 36 months by promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding, promoting healthy diets to prevent obesity and non-communicable diseases, and regulating the marketing and promotion of designated products, including breast milk substitutes.

Under the act, the government would establish a 22-member board under the chairperson of the Sindh Assembly Standing Committee on Health. The functions of the board include framing regulations, advising standards of designated products and proposing guidelines to the government to establish an effective monitoring system for the purpose as per the WHO/UNICEF protocols.Dr Azra said that there was a need for the procurement of 60 ambulances, including 30 mobile medical vans and five mobile laboratories, for which Rs2 billion was required.It was pointed out that mobile medical units would be utilised in settings where medical facilities were limited or inaccessible in Sindh.

The mobile laboratory would be used in disease outbreak investigation, rapid diagnostic testing, surveillance and monitoring, environmental testing, and support for field hospitals and medical teams. The ambulances would be included in the fleet of the Rescue 1122 ambulance service. The cabinet approved the request and funds for the purpose.Dr Azra said that there was a sanctioned strength of 1,975 specialist cadre doctors (BS-18), against which only 947 were working and 1,028 were vacant in Sindh.