A breastfeeding unit was inaugurated in the grounds of San Anton Palace by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca yesterday, on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

Ms Coleiro Preca said she hoped the initiative would encourage local councils to follow suit, adding that public toilets with a nappy changer were not hygienic locations for parents to fulfil their babies’ needs.

“We should not cut corners when it comes to these things. This gives a statement to local councils that if we want families to make use of public spaces, we should have such facilities within the communities.”

The state-of-the-art unit, she said, was designed by doctor Rita Borg Xuereb and was furnished with facilities for children who were being weaned, including a microwave, bottle warmer and a liquidiser.

Ms Coleiro Preca urged fathers to make use of the room and the nappy changing facilities, which were partitioned off from the breastfeeding area to afford mothers privacy.

We should not cut corners when it comes to these things

The room is located opposite the chapel of Our Lady of the Pillar, so that families on their way to the public garden, the Kitchen Garden or those making use of programmes within the President’s Secret Garden in the private garden could make use of it.

Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said that 60 couples had so far benefited from the IVF service being offered by the government in Mater Dei Hospital. Eighteen couples were currently expecting, he said, adding that a further 30 were undergoing the process.

The target is for 180 couples to have made use of the service by the end of the year.

He urged local councils to open breastfeeding units, adding that the government was ready to furnish the sites identified by the councils. All healthcare centres had breastfeeding units.

The national breastfeeding policy will be published very shortly and will focus on three key pillars: educating people to the importance and benefits of breastfeeding both for the mother and child, staff training and supporting breastfeeding mothers.

“We want to see the industry supporting breastfeeding mothers by creating such rooms, especially in large workplaces such as factories,” Mr Fearne said, adding that there will not be a law obliging them to do so.

Health shadow minister Claudette Buttigieg urged mothers who were finding difficulties to breastfeed to seek help from the breastfeeding clinic.