Makati City welcomes moms, babies to new milk bank

GIFT OF HEALTH . These mothers who came with their babies are gathered by Makati health officials as potential donors at the opening of the city’s milk bank on Tuesday. JODEE AGONCILLO

No more excuses to deprive babies of breast milk.

The Makati City government on Tuesday formally opened what Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. described as the first milk bank to be run by a local government in the country.

Located at Barangay Bangkal health center, the bank is open not only to Makati residents but also to others living outside the city.

“This human milk bank has been put up so that motherless infants in our city and neighboring cities will not be deprived of their rightful share of God’s wonderful gift to every newborn, to every child,” Binay said in a statement.

He recalled that his fourth and youngest child, Maria Kennely, a premature baby, got her nourishment from a steady supply of breast milk obtained from milk banks. The mayor’s wife Kennely Ann died in 2009 shortly after giving birth to Maria Kennely.

Conceptualized three years ago, the bank comes fully equipped with a pasteurizer imported from England, a large bio-refrigerator, two large freezers, and an electric dishwasher with sterilizer.

A six-member team composed by a doctor, a nurse, two midwives and two medical technologists will operate the facility according to the standards set by the World Health Organization.

Mothers who wish to donate milk can just walk in. According to milk bank nurse Ronnie Candy Garcia, a donor can produce up to 600 ml each in one milk-letting session. If properly stored, the donated milk can have a shelf life of up to a year.

Garcia said potential donors must first undergo screening and that mothers who have tested positive for HIV and Hepatitis B cannot be donors.

Dr. Estela Barrios, officer in charge of the Makati Health Department, said the milk bank could cater especially to babies who were born premature or whose mothers died during the delivery.

“Breast milk has the right amount of protein. You don’t need to adjust it. You don’t need bottles to sterilize it. Anytime in the middle of the night, you can have breastmilk,” Barrios said.

The Makati milk bank was established with the help of WHO, Department of Health and Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).

PCMC and Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital are so far the only two health facilities in the country housing a DOH-approved human milk bank.

Last month, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista signed an ordinance calling for the establishment of milk banks in every hospital run by the local government.