THE construction of the City Health Office (CHO) Maternal and Child Center, that will house the first pasteurized human milk bank in Davao City, will begin next year.
CHO Head Doctor Josephine Villafuerte, in an interview with SunStar Davao, said the City Government already approved the P10 million budget for the center which will have five different clinics inside to cater to the specific needs of mothers and children.
The center, Villafuerte said, will have malnutrition clinic, immunization clinic, consultation clinic, education and information clinic, and the pasteurized human milk bank.
"This center will be made convenient for mothers and children because all the pediatric and maternal government programs they need will be housed in one building," she said.
Villafuerte lauded the City Government's approval on her proposal to create a pasteurized human milk bank in the city after three years of continuous proposal.
The City Government also had provided P5 million for the purchase of the pasteurization machine, while Department of Health (DOH)-Davao promised CHO to donate pasteurization refrigerators.
She said there is a need to pasteurize donated human milks against any possible health risks, considering that there is no health assessment being done to the donating mothers.
The pasteurized human milk, Villafuerte said, will be reserved for those non-lactating mothers who cannot afford to buy from private milk banks.
She added that the milk bank will be getting its milk supply from lactating mothers through barangay health centers and interested private organizations.
Even though the milk supply in the bank will be free for mothers who cannot afford, they have to buy the plastic container for the milk as it is costly for CHO to give it for free.
The Maternal and Child Center, Villafuerte said, will soon rise beside Sta. Ana Fire Station near Ramon Magsaysay Park.