Health Bureau opposes mother-newborn separation reports

The Health Bureau (SSM) has issued a statement denying the separation of newborns from their mothers at the government hospital as reported by several media outlets.

Recently it was reported that all newborns in Macau hospitals are being separated from their mothers immediately after birth and are being placed in a different ward due to Covid-19 restrictions. This makes it impossible for mothers to see or breastfeed their babies for the entire period they remain in hospital.

The SSM admitted to temporarily merging the postpartum care and the gynecology wards, which are not occupied frequently. The arrangement has led to the situation that mothers cannot breastfeed their newborn babies in the same room.

The bureau described the reason for the arrangement as a “special scenario”.

Meanwhile, the bureau defended the policy that when expectant mothers are admitted to the hospital for labor, they are asked if they want to breastfeed their babies. If they do, they will be able to do so within 10 hours giving birth unless they have another medical condition which prevents it.

It was also emphasized that the policy of promoting breastfeeding “has not changed.” The bureau reiterated the need for ensuring the availability of emergency medical services and safety of both mothers and infants. However, the statement did not respond to netizens’ questions about the bureau’s apparent lack of preparedness despite having three years to prepare for a major Covid-19 outbreak.