Additional Deputy Commissioner of Udupi G.S. Mamatha Devi inaugurated the first human milk bank of Udupi district ‘Manipal Matri-Amrit Milk Bank’ on Tuesday.
An initiative of Manipal Foundation in collaboration with Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, the bank is situated in the Department of Neonatology, which has a tertiary care NICU catering to sick and preterm infants.
The bank aims to ensure that more infants benefit from the vital nutrients found in breast milk, a release from the hospital said.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Devi said: “Mother’s milk is like an elixir or medicine for babies. It is crucial for the newborn to receive breast milk in their early days as it significantly improves their health.”
Udupi District Health and Family Welfare Officer I.P. Gadad, who released an educational brochure. said there is a need to raise awareness on the importance of breast milk to ensure that newborns receive the essential nutrients found in breast milk during their early days. The educational brochure aims to inform educate parents on the same.
Medical Superintendent Avinash Shetty said that the bank is a non-profit initiative and there is also a need to educate lactating mothers to donate excess breast milk to the bank.
Padmaraj Hegde, Dean, KMC Manipal, was present.
