Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Launches Amritdhara Human Milk Bank

The Amritdhara Human Milk Bank operates at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. It supplies screened, pasteurised donor human milk to newborns whose mothers cannot provide breast milk. The bank was inaugurated on 25 September 2023 as a Rotary Foundation global grant project involving Rotary Club Aurangabad West and Rotary Club Calgary. Planning for a milk bank in the Marathwada region was under way by 2019.

Human milk banking

A human milk bank collects, processes, tests and stores donated breast milk for infants who need it. Donor milk is used particularly for premature and low-birth-weight babies, including newborns receiving care in a neonatal intensive care unit. Breast milk contains nutrients and immune factors, while screened and processed donor milk provides a feeding option when a mother’s own milk is unavailable.

Donation and milk processing

At Amritdhara, around 8 to 10 mothers donate milk each day, with daily collection reported at 1 to 1.5 litres. Trained staff collect expressed milk using breast pumps, and donor mothers undergo health screening. The collected milk is pasteurised and checked for bacterial contamination before it is supplied to infants. These steps form part of the safety process used by human milk banks.

Clinical use and project details

The bank currently provides milk to around 8 to 10 babies daily. An estimate made at its 2023 inauguration anticipated that it could provide milk to at least 20 babies each day; this was a projected capacity, distinct from the current daily beneficiary figure. Dr L. S. Deshmukh, head of Neonatology, and Dr Amol Joshi, an Associate Professor in the department, are associated with the GMCH project. Milk requirements for infants are assessed as part of their clinical care.

Important Facts for Exams

:

• Human milk banks collect and process donated breast milk for infants who need it.
• Pasteurisation and bacterial testing are used in the processing of donated milk at Amritdhara.
• Amritdhara is located at Government Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
• The Rotary Foundation global grant project involved Rotary Club Aurangabad West and Rotary Club Calgary.

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life. The Amritdhara Human Milk Bank is in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region.