Ernakulam General Hospital plans mobile human milk collection unit
Ernakulam is likely to have a mobile human milk collection unit. The Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) will soon launch a milk collection unit that can
Ernakulam is likely to have a mobile human milk collection unit. The Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) will soon launch a milk collection unit that can collect breast milk from lactating donor mothers to provide it to infants to meet their nutritional needs. The scheme, jointly launched by the district administration and the Health department, aims to strengthen the human milk bank at GH, bring more willing mothers into the fold, and optimise nutrition for newborns, according to the hospital authorities.
“Our idea is to start the mobile collection unit along the lines of a mobile blood bank, where milk could be collected from mothers at their convenience,” said District Collector G. Priyanka. Milk will be collected following sterile procedures. GH Superintendent R. Prebhudas said the unit would be equipped with all the necessary equipment for collecting and safely storing milk. “The unit will have four staff members, including a lactation counsellor. We are also looking for CSR funds to finance the project,” said Dr. Prebhudas.
At present, the human milk bank at GH sources milk from lactating mothers within the hospital. “We are able to cater to the needs of newborn babies at the hospital. At times, we receive requests from private individuals and hospitals, and we provide milk free of cost. Although bottles of human milk can be stored at our facility for up to six months, our stock is utilised within two weeks. Having such a collection unit will bring more mothers into the system,” said GH Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cency B.
A district Health officer said the milk given by the hospital to meet requirements outside the hospital is provided free of cost, but replacement does not happen. “All we tell them is to try to replace the milk at least once if the mother has an excess supply of milk. But this rarely happens,” said the officer.
The BriefWire