Thapathali-based Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital has started its human milk bank that will store breast milk, increasing access for all newborns, from today.
On the occasion of the hospital’s 64th anniversary, President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the country’s first human milk bank ‘Amrit Kosh’ on Friday.
Amrit Kosh was established with the aim of providing milk to babies who were born in the hospital but could not get their mother’s milk within the first hour of delivery, due to lack of mother’s milk or other reasons.
Hospital Director Amir Babu Shrestha speaking on the importance of mother’s milk, said babies who are fed breast milk regularly are less likely to become sick as it plays a role in protecting the child from various infections.
“Earlier, when mothers could not produce milk, they used animal milk. However, now we have completely prohibited it,” he says.
The hospital has estimated that at least 1,000 children will benefit directly from the ‘human milk bank’ every month.
He added the concept of the human milk bank was introduced last year.
