Maternity leave should be for six months: PM
Monday, 14 June 2010
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has said maternity leave should be increased to six months from the present four months.
"Maternity leave should be increased to six months. I think four months' maternity leave is not enough for the mothers to take the best care of their new-born babies," the PM said while speaking at a function in the city Sunday, reports UNB.
Bangladesh government and UNICEF jointly organised the function marking the Safe Motherhood Day observed on May 28.
A total of 27 health facilities from seven divisions have received the best performance awards. The PM distributed the awards among the recipients.
The PM also emphasised ensuring emergency obstetric care to reduce early death of mothers during childbirth. On maternity leave, the PM said her previous government had increased maternity leave to four months.
"Nowadays the mothers usually take one or two babies. So I think if they are given six months' leave, it will not hamper anything," the PM said.
Justifying her stand for increasing the maternity leave, the PM said after six months, a baby attains the capacity to take hard foods.
The PM also called for setting up mothers' corner and day-care centres at all government and non-government offices, shopping malls, buses, rail stations and all other public places.
"A working mother having new-born babies has to attend office keeping her baby at home. That's why mothers cannot be attentive at office while the baby also does not get the best care of mother," the PM commented.
The PM also suggested that the young mothers live in joint families instead of going for single family.
The PM disclosed that the government in a fresh move was going to appoint 13,500 community health providers in a bid to provide mothers and children with more quality services.
The PM said the government is working with an aim of reducing maternal mortality rate to 1.50 per cent from the present rate of 3.80 per cent by the year 2021.
"Maternity leave should be increased to six months. I think four months' maternity leave is not enough for the mothers to take the best care of their new-born babies," the PM said while speaking at a function in the city Sunday, reports UNB.
Bangladesh government and UNICEF jointly organised the function marking the Safe Motherhood Day observed on May 28.
A total of 27 health facilities from seven divisions have received the best performance awards. The PM distributed the awards among the recipients.
The PM also emphasised ensuring emergency obstetric care to reduce early death of mothers during childbirth. On maternity leave, the PM said her previous government had increased maternity leave to four months.
"Nowadays the mothers usually take one or two babies. So I think if they are given six months' leave, it will not hamper anything," the PM said.
Justifying her stand for increasing the maternity leave, the PM said after six months, a baby attains the capacity to take hard foods.
The PM also called for setting up mothers' corner and day-care centres at all government and non-government offices, shopping malls, buses, rail stations and all other public places.
"A working mother having new-born babies has to attend office keeping her baby at home. That's why mothers cannot be attentive at office while the baby also does not get the best care of mother," the PM commented.
The PM also suggested that the young mothers live in joint families instead of going for single family.
The PM disclosed that the government in a fresh move was going to appoint 13,500 community health providers in a bid to provide mothers and children with more quality services.
The PM said the government is working with an aim of reducing maternal mortality rate to 1.50 per cent from the present rate of 3.80 per cent by the year 2021.