China to improve mother, baby facilities

BEIJING -- The top health authority called for better public facilities for mothers and babies, to support the implementation of the two-child policy and improve family planning services as a whole.

By the end of 2016, all airports and main train stations in provincial capitals should have mother and child facilities, said a guideline issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).

By the end of 2016, 50 percent of all public places should have such facilities, it said.

By the end of 2020, all public places should offer mother and child facilities, including transportation hubs, business centers, hospitals, and sightseeing and entertainment venues.

Workplaces should also set up nursing rooms for breast-feeding staff, the guideline said.

The NHFPC called on the departments involved -- including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and local railway and civil aviation administrations -- to ensure sufficient funds to finance the building of facilities and better operational supervision.