KZN’s biggest human milk bank launched in Empangeni
Breastfeeding mothers requested to donate to human milk bank.
AT the launch of KZN’s biggest human milk bank at Lower Umfolozi Regional War Memorial Hospital (LURWMH) yesterday, KZN Health MEC Dr S Dhlomo stressed the importance of the breast milk to a baby’s health.
‘Breastfed babies grow up healthy and strong and their immune systems are boosted by the ingredient elements contained in breast milk,’ Dhlomo uttered.
Dhlomo said even though there are five other hospitals with human milk banks, LURWMH’s is the biggest in KZN.
‘With 360 beds, 92 of which are neo-natal and 16 ICU beds this hospital is rated among the best neo-natal hospitals in the country,’ Dhlomo added.
Breast milk saves lives
According to head of neo-natal unit Dr Z Duze, the unit has been in operation for 18 months and has been a huge success, with more than 110 mothers having donated breast milk.
The breast milk is sterilised and stored in a freezer, to be later accessed for the needy babies.
A dietician, Nicole Govender said donated breast milk should be kept in a cool, well-aerated environment, so it is in the same condition as in a mother’s breast.
Dr Duze said through breast milk donations, mothers who do so have saved lives of the infants whose mothers couldn’t express breast milk or of those whose mothers died at child birth, or whose mothers suffer from disease.
Breastfeeding mothers requested to donate to human milk bank
In order for the hospital to carry out the programme, it has embarked on a mission to request breast feeding mothers to donate breast milk to the human milk bank, which is said to have been a huge success.
Dr Z Duze said Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Hospital has been making inroads in the child care circles, as in 2006 it was accredited as a Mother-Baby-Friendly Hospital.
‘Therefore we are doing our best to keep our status intact, consequently keeping our babies healthy at all times.
‘We are proud to say since this initiative, infant mortality rate has been drastically reduced, with child diseases like diarrhoea being lessened,’ said Dr Duze.
