Surya Hospitals Honours Human Milk Donors on Independence Day, Highlights the Vital Role of Donor Milk in Supporting Vulnerable Newborns

Held following World Breastfeeding Week, the occasion brought attention to an important aspect of newborn care ensuring access to appropriate nutrition when a mother’s own milk is temporarily unavailable or insufficient. This also reinforced the importance of safe donor human milk as a clinically supported option for babies who require additional nutritional support during their early days of life.

Established in 2019, the Surya Human Milk Bank is among the largest human milk banks in the private healthcare sector and has, over the past seven years, supported more than 2,000 babies in need of donor human milk. Every year, approximately 100–120 low-birthweight babies at Surya Hospitals require breastmilk support as part of their clinical care.

The initiative addresses an important aspect of newborn nutrition by ensuring access to appropriately screened and processed donor human milk when a mother’s own milk is temporarily unavailable or insufficient. Human milk is particularly valuable for premature and low-birthweight babies as it is easier to digest and provides important nutritional and protective factors.

Dr. Bhupendra S. Avasthi, Founder, Chairman & Managing Director, Surya Hospitals, said, “The vision behind the Surya Human Milk Bank is to ensure that premature newborns who cannot receive sufficient mother’s milk have access to safe donor human milk. This Independence Day, we hope to reinforce that the spirit of freedom is also about giving every child a healthier start in life. Through rigorous screening, pasteurisation and controlled storage, we are committed to ensuring that quality-checked donor milk reaches eligible newborns. At the same time, we want to create greater awareness and address misconceptions around human milk donation so that more eligible mothers can make informed decisions and contribute to this meaningful cause.”

Artist and mother Jankee Mehta, who has personally contributed as a milk donor, joined the celebrations as Chief Guest and called for greater awareness among mothers about human milk donation. She said, “As a mother, knowing that your milk can help another baby grow stronger and healthier makes the act of giving truly meaningful. On Independence Day, as we celebrate the spirit of giving, I hope more eligible mothers become aware that surplus breastmilk can be donated safely and consider supporting babies who need it most.”

At the Human Milk Bank, donors undergo appropriate screening, while donated milk is tested, processed and pasteurised before being stored under controlled conditions. This multi-step process is designed to ensure that safe, quality-checked donor milk reaches babies who meet the clinical criteria for receiving it.

The hospital also provides counselling and medical guidance to address concerns around donation, including the misconception that donating milk could reduce the supply available for a mother’s own baby.

Dr. Hari Balasubramanian, Consultant, Neonatologist at Surya Hospitals said, “Healthy mothers with an adequate milk supply can generally consider donation following appropriate medical screening. The process involves counselling, screening, collection and safe processing. Professional guidance is important to help mothers make informed decisions while maintaining the required safety standards for donor milk.”

Surya Hospitals aims to further expand awareness around human milk donation, encourage more eligible mothers to become donors and strengthen access to donor milk, alongside continued breastfeeding education and support for new mothers.

The Independence Day recognition of donor mothers celebrates the spirit of giving, where one mother’s generosity can provide meaningful support to another baby during a critical stage of life.