Warangal: Wait for Human Milk Bank continues

Medical and Health Dept had in November, 2017 announced setting up of the facility at MGMH, Warangal

Warangal Urban: Three years have passed since the Medical and Health Department announced the setting up of a Breast Milk Bank, also known as Human Milk Bank, in Warangal, but it is yet to be established. In November, 2017, the then District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr B Harish Raj had said that the department would soon set up the Breast Milk Bank at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH), Warangal within two months for the benefit of neonates.

According to official sources, the proposal to set up the Human Milk Bank was part of the Mothers Absolute Affection initiative of National Health Mission (NHM) and it was aimed at reducing infant mortality rate by providing human milk to the neonates whose mothers don’t lactate. While the first such bank was established at Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad on Oct 27, 2017, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the National Human Milk Bank at Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi in June 2017, and such facilities were also set up in metropolitan cities including Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

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The Breast Milk Bank collects, screens, processes, and dispenses by prescription human milk donated by lactating mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant. It is meant to ensure optimum nutrition to infants born prematurely and underweight, thereby reducing the risk of infant mortality. In majority of the cases, premature babies can’t draw milk from their mothers. “Breast milk has a protective effect against necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) a condition seen in premature infants. In such cases, banked human milk is considered as ‘the next best’ if the biological mother can’t breastfeed her child,” an official told Telangana Today, adding that HMB will also help address problems like short-gut syndrome, intractable diarrhoea, nephrotic syndrome, immune deficiencies and others.

When contacted, DMHO Dr K Lalitha Devi said that a team of officials from Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare visited the Government Maternity Hospital (GMH), Hanamkonda, and inspected the building to set up the Breast Milk Bank about two months ago. “They said they need 3,200 sqft to set up the milk bank. But we have not received any correspondence since then on the proposal. It’s not very clear as to why the setting up of the Human Milk Bank has been delayed,” she added.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee (CWC), combined Warangal district, Mandala Parashuramulu urged the government to speed up the process to set up the Human Milk Bank for the benefit of the infants.

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