SDM Hospital in Dharwad to set up milk bank to help needy babies

Dharwad: SDM Hospital, Dharwad in association with Rotary Club Seven Hills, Dharwad has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU)to start a new milk bank at SDM Hospital. This is the fourth milk bank in the state.
The first three milk banks are in Bengaluru, Belagavi and Mangaluru. This milk bank will serve in a big way in case of shortage of mothers’ milk.
The milk bank is a new concept on the lines of blood banks. The intention of SDM-Rotary Milk Bank is not only to cater to babies in SDM Hospital but also to needy babies of civil hospital, Dharwad and other peripheral hospitals, said Dr Pallavi Deshpande, president of Rotary Seven Hills.
SDM University vice-chancellor Dr Niranjan Kumar and Dr Pallavi signed the MoU.
Dr Pallavi said it has been observed that many children are deprived of mother's milk which is considered as elixir of life. Hence, the milk bank will be set up here.
The total cost of the bank is $77,000 dollars of which $15,000 dollars is donated by the Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank and the remaining amount is funded by Rotary Club Seven Hills and some clubs in USA.
Pasteurization machines have been imported from Sweden as the milk donated by the lactating mothers should be stored in minus 30 degrees Celsius.
SDM hospital has donated the space for setting up the milk bank and this will cater to the needs to both urban and rural babies requiring mother's milk. It has also been decided to open a satellite centre at Civil Hospital. Mother's milk will be offered free of cost to needy babies, Dr Pallavi said.