Mothers need help, support

Dear Editor,

I am somewhat confused as to the Minister of Health's speech regarding how he encourages mothers to breastfeed their infants, as he implied this makes them more intelligent. However the flaw in this concept is that the duration of maternity leave is too short to realise the ambitions being discussed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Ministry of Health.

First of all the duration that infants should be breastfed is roughly 6 months according to experts and as highlighted by the Minister of Health. Now how is this possible if the facilities are not in place to breastfeed infants (feeding rooms) outside of the two months maternity leave offered.

In the private sector the maternity leave is usually 52 days or thereabout, and this is even shorter than that of the civil service. For those who are not able to negotiate extended leave, what other options are available to us? It would be great to hear more on this issue and what steps will be taken or can be taken to cater to mothers who wish only the best for their children.

Concerned mother

Muara