Kerala to Open its First Human Milk Bank

 This is a state-of-the-art facility, and Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja will open at Ernakulam General Hospital. 

Highlights:

♦ A milk bank was established with the support of the Rotary Club of Cochin Global. 

♦ The breast milk bank will ensure that newborn babies who are not ill or deceased or who are not breastfed due to insufficient breast milk production can obtain breast milk. 

♦ Approximately 3,600 babies are born in general hospitals every year. Among them, 600 to 1,000 sick babies enter the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 

♦ However, due to the low weight of premature babies or babies separated from their mothers, mothers cannot adequately feed them. 

♦ Therefore, pasteurized breast milk from the milk bank will reduce the risk of infection and help strengthen its immunity.

♦ The concept of this milk bank appeared in India 32 years ago, but Kerala has no milk bank until now. 

♦ Milk will be collected in accordance with all safety regulations and procedures, stored and provided to children in need in accordance with government guidelines. 

♦ The collected milk will be safely stored in the bank for 6 months. Initially, the milk will be provided free of charge to babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. 

♦ At a later stage, plans will be made to establish a hospital network for multiple collection and safe distribution points. 

♦ The milk will be donated by the delivery mother in the hospital. These mothers will get all health statistics in the hospital.

♦ The human milk bank includes a pasteurization unit, deep freezer, refrigerator, disinfection equipment, reverse osmosis equipment and computer. 

♦ After the State Health Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rotary Club of Cochin Global in 2020, its cost was 3.5 million rupees. 

♦ The Association of Pediatricians (IAP) will provide trained nursing staff to operate the milk bank.