Jaipur will soon get ‘mother’s milk bank’ to ensure milk to babies whose mothers are not healthy enough to feed them.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Oslo University Hospital Norway, JK Lone Hospital and the Rajasthan government for the purpose. The milk bank will be set up at Mahila Chikitsalaya near Sanganeri Gate.
“Jaipur will get its first mother’s milk bank, which will be run by the state government. The MoU has already been signed in this regard,” said S D Sharma, superintendent of JK Lone Hospital, a state-run hospital for kids.
Another milk bank is functioning in Udaipur but it is operated by an NGO, he added. The hospital administration said, the real test is to convince mothers to donate milk, especially in a conservative state like Rajasthan.
“Mothers of premature infants and those who have given birth to stillborn infants can donate milk. But the real test will be convince them. They would be provided adequate counseling so that they come forward and donate. Even lactating mothers, who are nursing their own babies, but still have surplus milk, can also donate,” said Sharma.
Officials of the medical and health department said that modern techniques of pasteurisation and storage of milk will be available in the milk bank.
Officials said the bank will be set up this financial year. A team of para-medical staff and a couple of nurses have been sent to Norway for training.
The nurses will be trained to counsel mothers to donate milk for children who are deprived of their mother’s milk.
“A lot of cases keep coming to us, where children could not get proper milk due to various problems. It will be a life savior bank for such kids. Once the bank starts functioning smoothly, more such initiatives may be taken by the state government at various places across the state,” said Sharma.
