A total of 61,650 millilitres (ml) of mothers’ milk was issued to 176 beneficiaries in July by the breast milk bank at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), reflecting a rise in the number of donors to the initiative this year, authorities said.The expressed milk was donated by 92 women at MGMGH and eight donors from outside sources in July, according to official data provided by the milk bank.The figure marks a significant increase from January this year, when 31,050 ml of milk provided by 93 donors benefited 141 infants.“Thanks to counselling and awareness programmes, more new mothers are opting to breastfeed. A baby requires about 20 to 40 ml of mother’s milk 10 to 12 times a day. However, the number of mothers willing to donate their milk needs to increase in Tiruchi,” S. Padmapriya, paediatrician at the MGMGH, told The Hindu.The MGMGH milk bank has been functioning since August 2015. It collects and processes milk from lactating mothers at hospitals and from other donors. Healthy mothers, who give birth at the hospital, after feeding their child, donate the excess milk to the bank.The donated milk is given to sick and underweight babies born at the hospital and those under treatment at neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Awareness driveAs a part of breast feeding awareness week, doctors participated in a Tamil debate programme co-hosted by the hospital’s Department of Paediatrics and the Tiruchi chapter of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, on Wednesday.The topic of the debate was “What is the major barrier to breastfeeding in the present era – Modern Lifestyle or Lack of Awareness?” The team supporting “Lack of Awareness” comprised C. S. Senthil Kumar, associate professor Sivagurunathan, and assistant professor Padmapriya, who highlighted the need for adequate counselling, family support, and community education to improve breastfeeding practices. The opposing team, comprising Vijay Bharathi, Sivagami Sundari, and Thangavel, argued that the demands of modern lifestyle significantly influence breastfeeding practices. The debate was moderated by Medical Superintendent E. Arun Raj. Dean S. Kumaravel and vice-principal Arshiya Begum were present. Published - August 06, 2026 06:45 pm IST