- Prashanth Human Milk Bank is located within the Velachery facility of the hospital with
world-class pasteurizer, deep freezer, breast pumps and thawing equipment - The hospital plans to donate collected human milk to preterm babies across different
hospitals and neonatal care facilities in the city
Chennai, 31 st July, 2024: Taking a significant leap in spreading awareness about breastfeeding and easing the
accessibility of nutritious human milk for preterm babies, Prashanth Hospitals, a leading multi-specialty
hospital chain in Chennai, today inaugurated the ‘Prashanth Human Milk Bank’ at its Velachery facility. The
state-of-the-art human milk bank, with its advanced facilities and technologies, will serve as a crucial resource in
supporting the health and development of preterm babies. The human milk bank was inaugurated by Dr. J.
Kumutha, Dean of Saveetha Medical College, and Dr. Rema Chandramohan, Director of the Institute of Child
Health at Madras Medical College, in the presence of Dr. K. Gita, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at
Prashanth Hospitals – Chetpet, Dr. T. Vijayakumar, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Prashanth
Hospitals, Velachery, and Dr. V. Prakash, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Prashanth Hospitals –
Velachery and Kolathur.
Commenting on the launch, Dr. Geetha Haripriya, Chairperson of Prashanth Group of Hospitals, said, “The
establishment of the Prashanth Human Milk Bank is a significant milestone in our mission to provide
comprehensive healthcare solutions. Our commitment is to ensure that every preterm baby receives the best
possible start in life. Prashanth Human Milk Bank will facilitate donations from lactating mothers, creating a
supportive community that values the importance of breast milk in neonatal care. We plan to donate collected
human milk to various hospitals and neonatal care facilities in the city, extending our reach and impact on infant
health.”
Equipped with world-class pasteurizers, deep freezers, breast pumps, and thawing equipment, Prashanth
Human Milk Bank will serve as a vital resource designed to provide essential nutrition to preterm babies across
hospitals and neonatal care facilities in Chennai. By collecting, pasteurizing, and storing human milk, the milk
bank aims to bridge the gap for mothers who are unable to provide sufficient breast milk for their infants. The
human milk bank, a brainchild of Dr. Geetha Haripriya, has been designed and developed to ensure the highest
quality and safety of donated human milk.
Adding to this, Dr. J. Kumutha, Dean of Saveetha Medical College, said, “I would like to congratulate the team
of doctors at Prashanth Hospitals for starting a novel and life-saving initiative. All newborns deserve a happy and
healthy start; Prashanth Human Milk Bank will truly make a difference to critically ill babies, and I welcome
lactating mothers to come forward and join the community to help such babies in need.”
Dr. Rema Chandramohan, Director of the Institute of Child Health at Madras Medical College, said,
“Breastfeeding has remarkable benefits and is foundational for a healthy lifestyle for any baby. I am happy to see
Prashanth Hospitals coming forward to set up and start a Human Milk Bank that will make a significant
difference in the lives of many newborn, preterm babies. I offer my sincere gratitude to Prashanth Hospitals for
this novel initiative.” Prashanth Human Milk Bank was launched in commemoration of World Breastfeeding
Week (1 st August-7th August). The hospital also plans to conduct several awareness activities and sessions across
its three facilities in Chennai under the theme “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding,” focusing on
supporting young new parents in their breastfeeding journey during the breastfeeding week.
About Prashanth Hospitals: Prashanth Hospitals is a multidisciplinary hospital that provides sophisticated and
dedicated healthcare services by professionally trained experts. Prashanth Super-specialty Hospital at Velachery
and Kolathur is one of the best- and well-known multi- specialty hospitals in Chennai. These facilities have well
trained and skilled nursing staff who can take good care of the patients. The vision is to become an
internationally renowned medical institute by providing excellent health care services to the patients, and the
mission is to maintain the trust of the patient by providing good quality of health care. The values on which
Prashanth Super-specialty Hospitals function are quality of care, respect, competence, the effectiveness of the