New Delhi|HL
The human milk bank and lactation counselling centre, ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh was inaugurated at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) in New Delhi on Wednesday to provide breast milk to newborns .
Union Health Secretary C K Mishra, who inaugurated the facility, said the bank would provide life-saving human milk to all newborns in and around Delhi.
‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, will collect, pasteurise, test and store milk donated by lactating mothers and make it available for infants in need.
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“We launched mothers absolute affection (MAA) programme to create awareness about breastfeeding, which is the most cost-effective way of enhancing a child’s immunity,” Mr Mishra added.
He said that the decline in rate of maternal and child mortality rates is much faster than the global target and thanked the frontline workers for this.
“We are poised to enhance universal health coverage in the country and are conscious of quality issues. Several efforts are underway through National Health Mission to improve affordability, quality and access to healthcare services,” Mr Mishra said.
The ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’ has been set up in collaboration with the Norwegian government, Oslo University and Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI).
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