Quezon City to open breast milk bank

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City government will inaugurate tomorrow its own human milk bank at the city-owned QC General Hospital (QCGH) to support babies in need of breast milk.

City officials led by Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte will lead the inauguration of the facility, which was established with the support of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

In an earlier interview, Belmonte – a known maternal and children’s health advocate – said the facility seeks to ensure that children born in the city’s hospitals will have access to breast milk should the need arises.

She said the milk bank will be operated in compliance with the ordinance approved by the city council in 2012.

The measure, authored by fifth district Councilor Aly Medalla, seeks the creation of human milk banks in all local government hospitals offering pediatric care.

PCSO donated several equipment for the facility, including a pasteurizer, refrigerator and freezer.

Based on the ordinance, milk banks would collect, screen, process, store, and distribute donated human milk in the pediatrics departments of all city-owned hospitals.

It will operate like a blood bank, where infants who do not have access to their own mothers’ milk would be provided an alternative feeding option.

The milk bank shall operate on a non-profit basis, but a minimal processing fee may be charged for the screening process and administrative costs.

However, Belmonte said that inability to pay for the fee shall not be a reason for refusing infants in need of human milk.