Mother’s milk bank inaugurated at Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital

It has capacity to store 200 litres up to six months

Minister for Information and Publicity Kadambur Raju inaugurating the Mothers Milk Bank at Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital on Monday. PHOTO : RAJESH N

Minister for Information Kadambur C. Raju inaugurated the mother’s milk bank at Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital here on Monday.

The mother’s milk bank, which was inaugurated in the presence of Collector K. Senthil Raj, has the capacity to store 200 litres of mother’s milk up to six months.

As the hospital handles 4,000 to 6,000 deliveries annually, mothers who wish to donate milk may do so, which will be preserved hygienically in 200 ml bottles. Since the milk will be treated in 62.50 degree Celsius, any infection will get neutralised so that it can be stored there up to six months in minus 20 degree Celsius.

After being taken out from minus 20 degree Celsius, the milk will be kept in refrigerator to be used within 24 hours.

If the mother and the baby are under treatment in separate areas, the milk can be collected from the mother and given to the baby whenever it is necessary. Similarly, mothers secreting excess milk can donate it to be given to the babies in need of the nutritious food due to a range of reasons.

“We will give the mother’s milk stored in the bank to babies including neonatal babies undergoing treatment in Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital. If the mothers of the babies are under treatment, the milk stored in the bank would come in handy. Moreover, we will also share the milk stored in our hospital with the babies under treatment in other private hospitals also. Like blood donation, mothers secreting excess milk should donate it for saving the babies badly in need of mother’s milk,” said Revathi Balan, Dean, Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital.

Mr. Raju also rechristened the Thoothukudi – Palayamkottai Highway as ‘Thamizh Saalai’ in the presence of Corporation Commissioner Sharanya Ari as resolved by the Department of Tamil Development on giving this name to an arterial road in the district headquarters.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Raju said cases registered during the anti-Sterlite protests could not be dropped unilaterally even as the probe by the judicial commission into the police firing was on. After getting legal opinion, the Chief Minister would decide on it.

He also defended the State government’s stance on the fuel price hike, saying they were not supporting the hike. Since oil companies were fixing the price as per the plan put in place by the previous Congress government, the fuel price was going up.