Mumbai: Over 43,412 Mothers Donate Life-Saving Milk at Maternal Milk Bank in Five Years

In the past five years, over 43,000 mothers have generously donated milk to support newborns at the BMC-run Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital in Mumbai. This initiative has provided crucial support to more than 10,000 newborns during this period. The BMC has established maternal milk banks at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital.

“Milk donation has proven invaluable in lowering the mortality rates among low-weight and high-risk newborns. Thanks to the efforts of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, over 10,000 newborns have benefited from milk donations in the last five years,” stated a senior civic official. From 2019 to 2024, a total of 43,412 mothers have volunteered to donate milk. The hospital’s maternal milk bank has enabled many newborns to receive maternal milk after birth and is now playing a key role in helping establish new maternal milk banks across Western India.

The BMC is dedicated to providing safe, high-quality maternal milk to newborns. The maternal milk bank at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital utilizes advanced technology and maintains strict cleanliness standards. “Inspired by the BMC’s success, other states and hospitals in Maharashtra are also being assisted in setting up maternal milk banks,” said Dr. Mohan Joshi, Dean of the hospital.

The milk bank supplies maternal milk to newborns with insufficient growth and low weight in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Annually, the hospital sees around 10,000 to 12,000 births, with approximately 1,500 to 2,000 newborns receiving milk through the bank. In the last five years, 51,214 mothers have been counseled about milk donation, with 43,412 choosing to donate. About 4,184 liters of milk were collected, benefiting 10,523 low-weight and growth-inadequate newborns. This milk is also provided to babies whose mothers face postnatal complications or have insufficient milk.

Since 2019, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital has served as the Zonal Reference Center for Western India for maternal milk banks. The center supports the establishment of milk banks in both government and private hospitals in states such as Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Daman and Diu, and throughout Maharashtra. It also organizes regular training programs for doctors and nurses.