In an innovative move away from traditional conference-room awareness drives, the Department of Paediatrics at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College in Bareilly took Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) education directly to hospital beds. On the occasion of International KMC Day, the department staged a skit inside the post-natal and maternity wards.
Nukkad Natak Demonstrates KMC Benefits
The nukkad natak, performed by nursing staff Suchita, Nishu, and Ujjwala, demonstrated to new mothers and their families how skin-to-skin contact regulates newborn body temperature, promotes breastfeeding, and strengthens mother-infant emotional bonding. This practice is particularly beneficial for premature and low-birth-weight babies.
Expert Endorsement
The programme was led by Dr. Anupama Verma, head of the paediatrics department. “There is no incubator like a mother’s chest, and no medicine stronger than a parent’s touch,” said Dr. Verma, emphasizing the importance of KMC.
College Principal Dr. R.C. Gupta praised the initiative, noting that the ward-level theatre format reached actual caregivers—mothers still in recovery—making it one of the few KMC awareness initiatives designed to work at the point of care. “Rather than targeting healthcare workers alone, this approach directly benefits the mothers,” he added.
WHO-Recommended Practice
KMC is a WHO-recommended practice shown to reduce neonatal mortality by up to 40 percent in low-birth-weight infants, Dr. Gupta explained. The initiative underscores the hospital’s commitment to innovative, patient-centered care that goes beyond conventional methods.
