Jammu Hospital To Get Human Milk Bank By Year-End To Aid Newborn Care

Jammu Hospital To Get Human Milk Bank By Year-End To Aid Newborn Care (Image : Kl)

Ashiq Butt | July 8, 2024 | 05:50 PM IST | Health Care, Jammu, Jammu Kashmir | Follow on Google News

Jammu Hospital To Get Human Milk Bank By Year-End To Aid Newborn Care

Jammu Hospital To Get Human Milk Bank By Year-End To Aid Newborn Care

JAMMU : Jammu is set to open its first-ever Comprehensive Lactation Management Centre (CLMC), commonly known as a human milk bank, at a government hospital by the end of the year.

The facility, located at the government maternity and child care hospital in the Gandhi Nagar area, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 47.20 lakhs. This project was approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Health Mission last year.

Funding and Facility Details

Medical Superintendent Arun Sharma confirmed that the funds for the project were received last month, allowing for construction work, equipment, and machinery procurement. The CLMC will be located on the hospital’s third floor and will include the recruitment of doctors, counsellors, and managers to ensure smooth operation.

Sharma stated that the government has already laid out the standard operating procedures (SOP) to guarantee the successful functioning of the human milk bank, which aims to be operational by the year-end.

Benefits for Newborn Care

The Gandhi Nagar hospital, which already boasts a state-of-the-art 150-bedded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), will greatly benefit from the addition of the CLMC. The hospital, along with Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) maternity hospital, currently handles a significant load of neonatal care in the Jammu division.

The new milk bank will enhance the management of sick, underweight, and premature newborns, particularly those whose mothers are unable to breastfeed due to illness, infection, or other issues.

Operations and Donor Information

Out of the total Rs 47.20 lakhs sanctioned, Rs 30.59 lakhs will be allocated for equipment, furniture, supplies, consumables, and maintenance, while Rs 16.61 lakhs will go towards infrastructure. The milk bank will rely on voluntary donations from mothers with surplus milk or those who have lost their infants or experienced failed deliveries.

The donated milk will be collected, scientifically tested, pasteurised, and then fed to infants in need.Kanchan, a recent mother at the hospital, expressed her support for the initiative, highlighting the importance of mother’s milk for newborns who cannot be fed directly by their mothers.

She stated, “There is no alternative to mother’s milk,” underscoring the critical need for such a facility in the region.

Ashiq Butt

Ashiq Butt – is VoM News's senior staffer worked since year 2015 and he deals with correspondency and social media handles. Hailing from Doda's Marmat, Ashiq has strong grip over the collection of the data and it's compiling feature.