Recently, a state-level function was organized in Jaipur by the health department to felicitate mothers for milk donation. The state government is aiming at strengthening the human milk bank network. This will result in reduced infant mortality rate (IMR).
During the felicitation, Principal Secretary of Health Department, Veenu Gupta was also present. Pointing out that more women donating milk would reduce IMR in Rajasthan, she said, “There are some studies which show that by providing mother’s milk to the newborn, it will bring down infant mortality by 22%.”
She also stated that as of now, 11 human milk banks in Rajasthan are already in operation while seven more such banks are going to be set up. The government has even restricted the supply of bovine milk in the district hospitals so as to promote the use of mothers’ milk.
A Doctor working at Milk Bank (Image Courtesy: News Nation)
As per the statistical date rendered by Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin 2016, Rajasthan has the highest IMR amongst five big states of the country with 41 deaths per 1,000 births. Since 2013, more than 11,000 women have donated milk to the banks in Rajasthan, which has been supplied to more than 60,000 infants.
The inadequate consumption of natural milk may lead to health hazards in infants, which puts their life in danger. As a result, mother milk banks are helping infants lead a healthy life. It’s quite endearing that so many women are donating milk at the banks to build a healthy society. Amongst the felicitated ones, there was a woman from Udaipur who had donated milk for 299 times.
