HO CHI MINH CITY, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The first breast milk bank in southern Vietnam became operational at the Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

The donated milk, which is chosen from nursing mothers who have to pass strict checks, and then pasteurized and stored in germ-free conditions, will be provided for newborns who lack access to their own mothers' milk or suffer from serious diseases, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported on Thursday.

Director of the Tu Du Hospital Le Quang Thanh said that each year his hospital records 6,000-7,000 premature babies with diseases who need breast milk to support their treatment and recovery. However, most of them still have to use formula milk due to various reasons.

In the long term, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health plans to set up not only one or two breast milk banks but multiply this model at all obstetric and pediatric hospitals nationwide to ensure that all newborns can access to breast milk.