Expand human milk donation to benefit more infants: Collector

Tirupati: Highlighting the importance of breast milk for infant health, District Collector Dr S Venkateswar stated that the Human Milk Bank set up by the Rotary Club of Tirupati is helping reduce infant mortality by providing safe donor milk to needy babies.

The Collector visited the Rotary Human Milk Bank at the Government Maternity Hospital in Tirupati on Friday on the occasion of the facility completing two years of service.

He said the Human Milk Bank has been addressing the shortage of breast milk for infants whose mothers are unable to feed them. Expanding the services further is necessary and middle-class mothers should come forward to donate breast milk so that more children can benefit.

The facility is equipped with an analyser, enabling proper collection, storage, purification, and distribution of breast milk to infants.

The Collector explained that donor milk is provided mainly to premature babies, low-birth-weight infants, and newborns whose mothers are unable to produce milk.

The facility has contributed to reducing neonatal and infant mortality rates by up to 50 percent while improving the overall health of babies.

Dr Venkateswar directed officials to conduct awareness programmes about the Human Milk Bank in one or two localities every day in Tirupati. He also assured that required facilities for milk collection would be arranged by coordinating with the National Health Mission (NHM) Director.

Rotary Milk Bank Chairman Tenkayala Damodaram, Rotary Club of Tirupati President Rajendra Shetty, Andhra Pradesh Medical Council Chairman Dr D Sreehari Rao, DM&HO Dr V Balakrishna Naik, Maternity Hospital Superintendent Dr Prameela Devi, Ruia Hospital Superintendent Dr B Manohar, Amara Hospital Managing Director Dr Gourineni Rama Devi, and others participated in the programme.

On the occasion, mothers who donated breast milk and their family members along with the staff nurses working at the Human Milk Bank were honoured.