Mumbai gets Its First Private Sector Human Milk Bank

Surya Hospitals becomes the first private sector hospital in Mumbai to set up a Human Milk Bank

Mumbai, April 3, 2019: To meet the growing demand for donor milk, Surya Hospitals have started a Human Milk Bank for all premature babies admitted in its Santacruz facility. The milk stored in this new milk bank can be given to babies for 6-8 weeks of duration, hence meeting the need for proper preservation and extending the time needed for its use.

Human milk provides optimal nutrition for pre-term infants and helps in improving growth and neurodevelopment while decreasing the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis. However, not all mothers are able to provide an adequate supply of milk. In such cases, donor milk becomes an extremely valuable resource for premature infants.

India has the highest number of preemies in the world, which makes donor milk extremely important. To meet the growing demand, the Hospital started the milk bank as its non-profit social welfare initiative that allows storage of milk for a six-month period. The stored milk is a 24 X 7 facility, accessible for use to any preemie admitted in the Santacruz hospital. In addition, Surya Hospitals have treated some of the tiniest babies in India. These babies also require mother’s milk and the Human Milk Bank will prove to be exceptionally helpful to meet this need. “We are incredibly proud of our new Human Milk Bank as they will help countless preemies get the right amount of nutrition in the most natural way possible,” says Dr. Bhupendra Avasthi, Founder and Managing Director of Surya Hospitals.