Media Release

Udupi, Oct 30: Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, the teaching hospital of Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal and a unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), has been conferred the award for Excellence in Community Engagement at the 18th Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 instituted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

The award recognises the hospital's Manipal Matri-Amrit Milk Bank, a non-profit initiative and the first Human Breast Milk Bank of the Udupi-Manipal region. The award was presented by Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), at a ceremony held at FICCI, New Delhi on October 27. It was received on behalf of the hospital by Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, chief operating officer – Teaching Hospitals, MAHE, and Dr Avinash Shetty, medical superintendent, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.

In a remarkable achievement, all three initiatives nominated by Kasturba Hospital were placed among the top three finalists in their respective categories, from a total of 157 nominations received by FICCI:

Excellence in Community Engagement – Manipal Matri-Amrit Milk Bank, a non-profit initiative and the first Human Breast Milk Bank of Udupi-Manipal (Winner)

Excellence in Patient Safety – Hospital-Wide CLABSI Prevention Programme: Reducing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections through evidence-based multi-bundle interventions across ICUs, HDUs and wards (Finalist – Top 3)

Excellence in Training and Skill Development Initiative of the Year – ‘Everyone is a Hero, Every Second Counts’: Building a life-saving workforce through universal CPR and emergency response training (Finalist – Top 3)

Being placed in the top three in every category entered, from among 157 nominations, reflects the hospital's strength across community outreach, patient safety and workforce training.

The Manipal Matri-Amrit Milk Bank collects, screens, pasteurises and stores breast milk voluntarily donated by lactating mothers. This milk is provided to premature, low-birth-weight and sick newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit whose mothers are unable to breastfeed, giving the most vulnerable infants access to the protective benefits of human milk.

During the year under review, the milk bank supported 660 newborns with over 538 litres of donor milk from 493 voluntary donor mothers, up from 430 newborns and 300 litres the previous year. There were zero adverse events attributable to donor milk. Through regular counselling and awareness programmes, it has also helped build trust around breast milk donation among families in the region.

Congratulating the team, Dr H S Ballal, pro chancellor, MAHE, said, "This recognition from FICCI is a proud moment for Kasturba Hospital and the entire MAHE family. The Manipal Matri-Amrit Milk Bank reflects our belief that healthcare must reach beyond the hospital walls and touch the lives of the community we serve. Every drop of donated milk is a gift of life, and I thank the mothers who have donated and the doctors, nurses and staff who have made this initiative a success."

Dr Sharath K Rao, vice chancellor, MAHE, said, "Kasturba Hospital has always combined clinical excellence with a deep commitment to society. The milk bank is a fine example of how a teaching hospital can build community trust, create awareness and improve outcomes for the most vulnerable newborns. Being among the top three in all three categories, from 157 nominations, including patient safety and CPR training, shows the depth of work happening across the hospital. This award will inspire our teams to take such community-centred initiatives forward across all our teaching hospitals."

With this recognition, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal reaffirms its commitment to compassionate, community-centred care that reaches every life it touches, from the smallest newborn to the wider community.