MCD’s First Milk Bank Plans To Store Mother’s Milk For Future Use

New Delhi

Delhi's Municipal Corporation (MCD) plans to establish the city's first municipal-run milk bank at Swami Dayanand Hospital, storing mother's milk at low temperatures for future use. The proposed lactation management unit aims to function like a blood bank, ensuring a supply of mother's milk for infants in need, particularly in cases where a newborn cannot feed or is admitted to an ICU.

The stored milk can be used when the mother is unable to lactate or her lactation levels are insufficient. A detailed proposal outlining the milk bank's modalities will be submitted to civic authorities by Swami Dayanand Hospital.

While the initiative is considered ambitious, concerns are raised about its execution given the financial constraints of the MCD. Storing mother's milk at low temperatures requires cutting-edge technology and trained staff. Despite reservations, the proposal aims to benefit infants who may have lost their mothers at birth or an early age.

The MCD's budget estimate for 2024-25, presented on December 9, includes provisions for the milk bank project, construction of around 20 school buildings, use of artificial intelligence to monitor civic amenities, establishment of testing labs in 60 primary health centers under a public-private-partnership model, and the initiation of a blood storage facility at Mata Gujri Hospital.