I just thought this was a cool news item.  Anyone know any more about this,
like are they pasteurizing, are they providing it to any mom who wants it?

Rachael


Bulgarian Breast Milk Bank Serves Mothers

 August 22, 1997


 Xinhua via Individual Inc. : SOFIA (Aug. 20) XINHUA - The "Children Food and
 Breast Milk Bank" Center in Bulgaria provides free breast milk to nursing
 mothers unable to breast feed.

 The center is in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. Its Breast Milk Bank was built in
 June, 1989 in response to a decision by the Council of Ministers.

 Director of the center, Tania Vasileva, said today that in addition to
 providing free human milk to hospitals and "homes for mothers and babies", the
 bank also provided free milk to sick nursing mothers not able to breast feed.

 Those willing to buy breast milk can get a liter from the bank for only 1,239
 Lev (about 67 U.S. cents).

 The costs of the bank are subsidized by the Sofia municipal government.

 "Milk contributors" voluntarily provide milk and get some payment. Staff
 members from the bank also make house calls to collect milk.

 Bulgarian women normally dislike nursing their babies with others' milk, and
 are very concerned about the quality of the milk provided by the bank, Vasileva
 said.

 To ensure quality, the bank has a laboratory which checks for microorganism in
 the milk.

 At present the bank receives 268 liters of breast milk every month from 21
 donors.

 Apart from Greece, Bulgaria is the only country which boasts such a bank on the
 Balkan Peninsula.

 [Copyright 1997, Comtex]