VIJAYAWADA: State will soon get mother’s milk banks in Visakhapatnam, Krishna and Rayalaseema districts. The proposal was first mooted in 2016 to set up a milk bank at King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, but due to various reasons it was put on hold.
Now, officials again are making fresh efforts and working on the budget-related issues. Infant mortality rate is quite alarming in the State with as many as 7,000 to 8,000 children dying every year. Every quarter of a year, over 2,400 infants are losing their lives.
As part of the government’s efforts to control neonatal mortality, it is proposed to set up a milk bank on the premises of a paediatric wing of a selected government hospital. The premature and underweight babies have a good chance of good recovery if they are kept on a die of mother’s milk. Milk collected from mothers who have delivered babies in the hospital will be sterilised, refrigerated and then supplied to the needy infants. The process is said to be easy and safe.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr S Gowri, a paediatrician, said, “Setting up of a milk bank is highly recommended as this will go a long way in reducing neonatal mortality. Mothers of premature and underweight babies who cannot lactate due to various reasons can safely depend on a milk bank. This method of storing mother’s milk and feeding it to those in need of critical nourishment is free from any stigma that may be attached to this due to social reasons. It’s just like receiving blood from unknown donors in case of emergencies.”
The number of milk banks in India is quite less compared to those in developed countries. The concept of mothers’ milk bank is yet to gain popularity in the country though the infant mortality rate is high. The neighbouring Telangana State has quite a number of milk banks in private hospitals.
The proposal to set up a mother’s milk bank at KGH in Visakhapatnam was made in 2016 by officials of the health department to reduce infant mortality in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts. However, it failed to take off due to various reasons. Now, once again it is being proposed by the health department.