The Contactless Milk Depot—Pioneering Round-the-Clock Human Milk Donation
Pooja Agarwal Jayagobi, Chengsi Ong, Cynthia Pui Chan Pang, Anng Anng Wong, Siew Tin Wong, Zheng Ying, Mei Chien ChuaBackground:
The KK Human Milk Bank provides pasteurized donor human milk to vulnerable infants across Singapore who lack sufficient mothers’ own milk. However, donors and their designated family members were previously limited to depositing frozen milk only during office hours, creating inconvenience and restricting timely access. These challenges were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospital entry limitations and concerns about viral exposure further discouraged on-site milk drop-offs.
Objective:
To develop a contactless, round-the-clock milk depot that enables donors to securely deposit frozen milk without entering the hospital, thereby improving accessibility and supply resilience.
Methods:
Key design considerations included safety, security, cost-effectiveness, and ease of access. A custom-built, multi-compartment freezer-locker system was developed featuring individual Personal Identification Number access, continuous closed-circuit television surveillance, and real-time temperature monitoring with automated malfunction alerts. The depot was strategically located for 24-hour accessibility.
Results:
Launched on November 14, 2022, the system comprises 12 independent freezer compartments, each capable of maintaining frozen storage conditions and enabling secure, traceable milk deposits. Donor feedback has been highly positive, with 100% user satisfaction reported among depot users.
Conclusion:
The freezer-locker milk depot provides a secure, contactless, and continuously accessible solution for donor milk deposits. This innovation supports both donor convenience and operational resilience, ensuring uninterrupted milk supply during pandemics or other service disruptions.