Equipment Grant Delay Stalls MIMS Mandya Human Milk Bank Operations

The Human Milk Bank established at the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) in Mandya city is awaiting critical pasteurisation and deep-freezing equipment before becoming operational. Initiated under the leadership of Mandya Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K.R. Nandini, the ₹25-lakh civil facility was set up by repurposing unused administrative funds to support infants deprived of maternal milk. However, four months after its initial inauguration, the unit requires an additional ₹36 lakh grant to procure key technical machinery, including a pasteuriser, a vertical laminar flow unit, and a deep freezer. MIMS admits over 250 newborns every month, of whom 30 to 60 premature or vulnerable infants suffer from a shortage of breast milk. The proposed facility is designed to pasteurise and safely store donated mother's milk for up to six months, significantly improving neonatal care and reducing infant mortality rates in the district. Healthcare advocates and local residents have urged the Karnataka state government to release the necessary funds promptly so that vulnerable neonates can benefit from this essential healthcare service.