Quezon City Human Milk Bank of the Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH) was established with the primary objective of providing access to safe and adequate supply of pasteurized human milk and to promote the importance of breast milk to our communities.

The Milk Bank’s main beneficiaries are the most susceptible to infection, such as premature babies, babies diagnosed with pneumonia, sepsis and other conditions. It is only through this methodical process that all bacteria are eliminated to ensure milk is at its safest.

To ensure the continuous supply of milk, an active donor recruitment system was established through the following networks:

1. Local government operated hospitals: Quezon City General Hospital, Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital and Novaliches District Hospital; 
2. Milk Depots / Milk Storage Stations in eight (8) Lying-In clinics and thirteen (13) Health Centers, equipped with freezers for temporary milk storage and breast pumps to aid in the efficient expression of the mother’s milk;
3. Community-based Milk Letting Activities operated by the City Health Department held monthly in all barangay health centers  in coordination with the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Barangay Officials;
4. Milk sharing arrangements with private hospitals without an existing milk bank to pasteurize human milk;
5. Private donors sourced from online promotions (Hospital website, Facebook and Instagram) with option for free pick-up service;
6. Direct referrals or recommendations by current and previous donors, NICU staff, Doctors, Lactation Support Groups, organizers and attendees of prenatal and postnatal classes, and Women’s groups; and
7. Annual Milk Donation Drive in celebration of Breastfeeding Month.

The Quezon City Milk Bank provides pasteurized human milk to indigent patients, free of charge. The hospital charges a minimum amount of Php 220 as a processing fee for every 100 ml of milk for private individuals with milk requirements and a prescription from their physician. This is the lowest amount charged for pasteurized human milk among other established milk banks. The fee is utilized to help augment the operations expense of the Milk Bank.

Moreover, through a partnership with the local government, the Milk Bank launched a Breastfeeding Support Group, a volunteer network of 200 women rooted in the different communities of the city whose primary purpose is to encourage and assist women in breastfeeding their children through seminars and lactation counselling, among others. Through this initiative, local mothers are encouraged to donate their excess milk and foster a sense of volunteerism among their communities, essentially saving lives of babies who otherwise do not have access to safe, pasteurized human milk. The Human Milk Bank is one of the Quezon City Government’s contributions to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 that by 2030, there is an end to preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.