Govt to enhance human milk bank facility: Health Minister

New Delhi: The government proposes to enhance the human milk bank facility which was recently launched in a city hospital, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

Responding to a supplementary question on whether more such banks will be set up, Health minister J P Nadda said plans are to "enhance" the facility.

The bank at the Lady Hardinge Medical College here will collect and store milk donated by lactating mothers for the infants who are in need. Referring to the infrastructure in major government hospitals where patients have to wait to get treatment, the minister said the AIIMS in Delhi will soon get 1563 additional beds.

He said the number of patients visiting central government hospitals for treatment was much more than their handling capacity in terms of number of beds, manpower and resources.

"However, all the patients registered in OPD are attended to by the doctors on that particular day," he said in his written reply.