Jaipur, Jan 19 (IANS): Mahatma Gandhi Hospital (MGH), a multi-specialty private hospital here, is soon going to have a mother's milk bank, hospital officials said.

"We have already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Inaya Foundation, an NGO, in this regard," R.C. Gupta, additional superintendent, MGH, told IANS here Monday.

"We have started work to set up 'Amrit" mother' milk bank in our hospital with the help of Inaya Foundation and we hope to start it in next couple of months," Vikas Swarankar, member, Board of Management, MGH said.

MGH, a multi-specialty teaching hospital has 1,000 beds. All beds in the general ward are free for the masses of Rajasthan especially the poor and the weaker sections of society.

It would be the second such mother's milk bank in Rajasthan. The first bank was inaugurated in Udaipur in a government hospital, some 400 km from Jaipur, in April 2013. Similar banks are situated in Pune, Surat, Mumbai and Kolkata.

"Mother's milk can save the life of an infant born in some particular condition. It is like giving blood to an accident victim who needs it immediately," Inaya Foundation's secretary Nitisha Sharma said.

Rajendra Mishra, project advisor of Inaya Foundation, said a survey conducted by the Rajasthan government found that 42 percent of newborns in the state were undernourished and needed mother's milk.

"Through breast feeding and donated mother's milk, infant mortality rate can be reduced by 22 percent. If a child is breastfed, her chances of survival increases six times," Mishra said

Nitisha Sharma said that before any nursing mother donates milk she has to go through a blood test and even her milk is tested to rule out any bacteria.

She said that other private hospitals in the state have also shown interest in setting up such banks and the city may get two-three such units this year.