KPJ Healthcare Berhad (“KPJ Healthcare” or “the Group”), Malaysia’s largest private healthcare provider, reinforced its commitment to maternal and child health through the Jelajah MADANI Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) 2025 for the Central Region, organised by Ministry of Health’s (MOH) National Lactation Centre.
The event, hosted at Tawakkal Specialist Hospital (“TSH”) was officiated by the Minister of Health Malaysia, YB Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who commended KPJ Healthcare’s leadership in advancing exclusive breastfeeding practices.
The programme also marked the private hospital-level celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Build a Sustainable Support System”, emphasising the collective responsibility of healthcare providers, families and communities in supporting breastfeeding mothers.
KPJ Healthcare is the private healthcare provider with the highest number of BFHI-accredited hospitals in Malaysia, with 20 nationwide. This reflects the dedication of KPJ’s consultants, nurses and staff to support mothers and give every baby the best start in life.
TSH has held BFHI certification since November 2014 and is now in its fourth renewal cycle, underscoring its long-standing commitment to breastfeeding and maternal-child care. Other KPJ hospitals in the Central Region have also maintained strong accreditation records, with some reaching their seventh cycle.
Ten KPJ hospitals in the Central Region took part in the Jelajah MADANI BFHI, led by TSH as host. The participating hospitals are Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital, KPJ Kajang Specialist Hospital, Damansara Specialist Hospital, Damansara Specialist Hospital 2, KPJ Rawang Specialist Hospital, KPJ Sentosa KL Specialist Hospital, KPJ Klang Specialist Hospital and KPJ Kuala Selangor Specialist Hospital.
Speaking at the launch, Chin Keat Chyuan, President and Managing Director of KPJ Healthcare, said, “The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is not just about accreditation. It is about giving every baby the best start in life and ensuring that mothers have the support they need throughout their breastfeeding journey. At KPJ, we are proud to stand with the Ministry of Health in advancing this national agenda. With 20 BFHI-accredited hospitals nationwide, the highest in the private sector, we see this as part of our responsibility to set benchmarks for quality care while living our ‘Care for Life’ purpose in every aspect of patient care.”
The Jelajah MADANI BFHI Central Region featured educational booths by KPJ hospitals, with demonstrations on back massage for mothers, milk expression and storage as well as baby massage techniques. These activities were supported by consultant-led talks and free counselling sessions from KPJ’s BFHI teams, designed to further educate and empower mothers.
TSH also unveiled its Vioventure Playland, an Augmented Reality (AR) playground in its Violet Paediatric Ward, designed to ease the stress of hospitalisation and provide comfort for children through play.
BFHI is a global initiative by the World Health Organisation (“WHO”) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”) that recognises hospitals prioritising breastfeeding as the foundation of a healthy start in life. Accreditation requires strict compliance with the “10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” and achieving an exclusive breastfeeding rate of at least 75 percent among discharged mothers.
The Jelajah MADANI BFHI Central Region launch strengthens KPJ Healthcare’s pledge to support MOH’s efforts in building a sustainable culture of breastfeeding in Malaysia. It also forms part of the broader transformation under the KPJ Health System, which integrates clinical, education and research to embed best practices such as BFHI as benchmarks of quality, innovation and patient-centred outcomes.
This content is provided by KPJ Healthcare
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