Kerala to Get First Human Milk Bank
On 5th February Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja inaugurated a first-of-its-kind human milk bank facility at Kochi's Ernakulam General Hospital.
On 5th February Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja inaugurated a first-of-its-kind human milk bank facility at Kochi's Ernakulam General Hospital. This unit will ensure availability of breast milk for newborns who are not being breastfed by their own mothers due to several reasons like sickness, insufficient production of the breast milk or untimely death.
According to media reports, the Rotary Club of Cochin Global and Kerala health department after signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) set up this center. New Indian Express reported that Madhav Chandran, Head of Rotary had come up with this idea. 32 years back it was suggested but till date nothing was done. Now finally Kerala has set up a milk bank. Another one has been set up at Jubilee Medical Mission Hospital in Thrissur."
It is also reported that each unit was set up at a cost of ?35 lakh. It consisted of a pasteurization unit, refrigerators, deep freezers, sterilizing equipment and computers. Reports said that providing milk to the needy children will be done as per government guidelines. The collected milk can be stored up to 6 months safely in the bank before it is given to an infant. Additionally, milk will be provided free of cost to the babies admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital. It is also planned to open up more centers.
