Now, BMC to provide tetra milk packets in all civic-run hospitals

A BMC official said initially, the civic body thought of going ahead with the procurement of milk packets. “It took us four months before we decided to go ahead with tetra packs, as they are easy to store and can be used as per the day’s requirement.”

Mumbai: A year after Aarey Dairy discontinued milk supply to civic-run hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will start providing tetra milk packers to all its in-patients, which can be directly served to the patient instead of serving loose milk in a glass.

This marks the first time that the CPD will oversee the tendering of milk purchases for all civic hospitals. To accommodate the shift to tetra packs, BMC has increased its budget from ₹14 crore to ₹42 crore. (Shutterstock)

On August 29, the Aarey Dairy wrote to BMC saying it would not be able to provide the civic body milk supply. The hospitals then locally purchased milk for paediatric patients, pregnant women, and patients on a nasogastric tube (a narrow-bore tube that is passed into the stomach through the nose for nutrition) who needed milk.

“We have decided to provide tetra milk packs as it is more convenient, and we do not have to serve loose milk to the patients. We are going to buy tetra packets of 100 ml, 200 ml, 500 ml, and 1 litre wherein 100 ml can be directly served to the patients,” said Vijay Balamwar, joint commissioner, central purchasing department (CPD).

A BMC official said initially, the civic body thought of going ahead with the procurement of milk packets. “It took us four months before we decided to go ahead with tetra packs, as they are easy to store and can be used as per the day’s requirement. Milk packets were boiled in the morning and had to be finished the same day. Tetra packs will help in bringing down possible wastages,” Balamwar said.

The city’s major hospitals, including KEM, LTMG Sion, Dr RN Cooper, and BYL Nair, along with 16 peripheral hospitals and 30 maternity homes, on a daily average collectively consume 4,000 liters of milk. The four major hospitals alone require 700 liters daily, and Aarey Dairy previously supplied this milk at a subsidized cost of ₹39 per liter.

A doctor from a civic-run hospital said milk is a crucial part of the patients’ meals. “Most of the hospitals were prioritising the patients to serve the milk instead of giving it to all. They were purchased from local vendors. It is good that the corporation will now provide to all patients,” the doctor said.