PUNE: Sahyadri Hospitals MomStory is proud to announce the completion of ten years of its Human Milk Bank Service in Pune, marking a significant milestone in the care of pre-term infants. This service was initiated by Rotary Club Pune Pride under their impactful Yashoda Milk Bank Project. Over the past decade, more than 3500 pre-term infants have been saved, thanks to the generous donations of lactating mothers and the dedicated efforts of our medical team.

Dr. Sunil Rao, Chief Operating Officer of Sahyadri Hospitals, highlighted the operational challenges and successes over the past decade. “Operating a human milk bank involves significant logistical and financial challenges. From the rigorous screening of donors to ensure safety, to the pasteurization and storage processes, each step requires meticulous attention and resources. Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to saving pre-term infants. There are very few milk banks in Pune to meet the daily requirements of such babies, making our efforts even more critical. We have managed to extend our services beyond Pune to Kolhapur, Satara, and Solapur, thanks to our dedicated milk van and extensive awareness campaigns. The support from Rotary has been instrumental in overcoming these hurdles and ensuring a steady supply of donor milk,” said Dr. Rao.

Dr. Pradeep Suryawanshi, Director & Head Department of Neonatology and Pediatrics at Sahyadri Hospitals MomStory, highlighted the crucial role of mother’s milk for pre-term infants saying, “Mother’s milk is essential for pre-term babies, offering vital nutrients, and antibodies that support their growth and development. Because their digestive systems are not fully developed, pre-term infants cannot properly digest formula milk, which can lead to serious complications. The nutrients in the mother’s milk are key to building the infant’s immune system and supporting healthy brain development. For these vulnerable infants, who often have underdeveloped organs, mother’s milk significantly reduces the risk of infections.” Dr. Suryawanshi explained.

The process of milk donation at Sahyadri Hospitals involves rigorous screening of donors to ensure the highest safety standards. Potential donors undergo comprehensive health screenings, including tests for infections like HIV, HBV, and HCV. Once cleared, the donated milk is carefully collected and transported to our facility under strict temperature controls. Upon arrival, the milk undergoes pasteurization, a crucial step to eliminate any potential pathogens while preserving the milk’s essential nutrients. This process involves heating the milk to a specific temperature for a set period, followed by rapid cooling. Every batch of pasteurized milk is then tested to ensure it is free from bacterial contamination. The pasteurized milk can be safely stored for up to six months, ensuring a reliable supply for pre-term infants in need.

To increase the number of human milk donations, Sahyadri Hospitals operates a specialized milk van which is donated by Rotary Club of Pune Pride. This well-equipped van visits mothers’ homes to collect their milk donations and assists in distributing the milk to various hospitals across Maharashtra.

Operating since August 2014, the Human Milk Bank at Sahyadri Hospitals has been a pioneer in Pune, extending its services to western parts of Maharashtra. Despite the existence of only a few milk banks in Pune, Sahyadri Hospitals has risen to meet the daily requirements of pre-term infants through its dedicated milk van and awareness campaigns encouraging milk donation.

Sahyadri Hospitals expressed heartfelt gratitude to Ramesh Purandhare, Chairman of the Human Milk Bank Project (HMB), and Rtn Radha Gokhale, President of the Rotary Club of Pune Pride, for their generous donation of milk bank equipment, their invaluable support, and for being present at the occasion.

“The demand for donor milk is increasing day by day, and every donation makes a significant difference. We urge all lactating mothers to donate and help save more newborns. Each drop of milk donated helps to build a healthier future for our pre-term infants.” said Dr. Suryawanshi.

Despite challenges like infrastructure costs, maintenance, and raising awareness, Sahyadri Hospitals’ dedication and the support from Rotary have been crucial in overcoming these hurdles. Through these ongoing efforts, we aim to reach more infants, support their survival, and give them a chance to thrive in this world.

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PUNE: Noble Hospitals and Research Centre in association with the Rotary Club of Pune Synergy today inaugurated the Human Milk Bank to support premature babies and mothers who are unable to breastfeed. The Human Milk Bank was inaugurated at the hands of veteran well-known actress and producer Shweta Shinde, Rtn. Manjoo Phadke, District Governor, Rotary Dist.3131, Rtn. Shital Shah, District Governor Elect, Rtn. Sonam Thakur, President, of Rotary Club of Pune Synergy along with Dr.Dilip Mane, Chairman and Managing Director of Noble Hospitals and Research Centre, Dr.HK Sale, Executive Director, Dr. Divij Mane, Director, Dr. P D Pote, Director, Department Of Pediatrics,  Dr. Abhay Mahindre, Director Neonatology, Dr. Mangesh Lingayat, Director, Dept. of Ophthalmology, Dr. Pradeep Suryawanshi, Neonatologist, Dr. Anil Khamkar, Neonatologist, and others were present on the occasion. 

Rtn. Dr. Archana Shingavi and Rtn. Neeraj Panchal has made significant efforts to establish a human milk bank at Noble Hospitals and Research Centre.

Breast Milk is of extreme importance to babies as it provides nutritional requirements, helps in neurodevelopment, protects against common childhood diseases, and can help babies from possible adult diseases in the future like diabetes, etc. According to WHO, the first 2 years of a child’s life are particularly important, as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality, reduces the risk of chronic disease, and fosters better development overall.

Well-known actress and producer Shweta Shinde congratulated Noble Hospital and Rotary Club of Pune Synergy for this initiative and said that this will be extremely useful for pre-term babies and their overall well-being. 

Dr. Abhay Mahindre, Director of Neonatology at Noble Hospitals and Research Centre said that the Human Milk Bank will be a boon, especially for pre-mature or babies requiring neonatal care. Human milk has a significant impact on the well-being of infants, especially premature babies.  The State-of-the-art Human Milk Bank will be catering to the needs of Eastern Pune and will collect, screen, store, and distribute human milk for babies in need with thorough quality and safety checks. The milk received from donor mothers is tested at the milk bank for infections, then pasteurized and sent to a deep freezer. The Human Milk is strongly supported by expert lactation consultant Dr. Sangeeta Kharate.

Dr Mahindre added that Breast Milk is of crucial importance for any child. Formula feed is not an option. Apart from premature babies, the human milk bank will also be of crucial importance in cases where the mother is unable to breastfeed properly or in babies with issues like cleft palate, cleft lips, etc. If a mother is unable to breastfeed, we try to find out the reasons and address them with breastfeeding, expression techniques, or medications. If sufficient milk is still not produced, then human milk has to be given to the babies.

Dr.Dilip Mane, Chairman and Managing Director of Noble Hospitals and Research Centre said the state-of-the-art Human Milk Bank is a part of our continuous process of expansion of our services aimed at the overall well-being of patients and people at large. He added that this is the seventh human milk bank in Pune and the first in eastern Pune. 

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