A BLACKBURN hospital has defended itself after a father branded a decision not to give his distraught wife milk for her 12-day-old baby "unforgivable."

Furious father Zheid Halim told the Citizen he had to drive more than 40 miles from his Bradford home with mercy supplies after Queens Park Hospital told him: Sorry, we can't help.

Mr Halim had taken his wife, Shameon, to a relative's house in Accrington after she gave birth to baby daughter Huma last week. Following complications in the birth, GPs in Bradford ordered Shameon to get complete rest.

On Sunday evening Shameon found she was unable to produce any milk for Huma, who became distraught. Shameon's sister-in-law, Shaneen, who lives in Accrington, rang Queen's Park Hospital maternity unit for assistance.

But staff said they could not help with the SOS because it was hospital policy to encourage new mothers to produce breast milk and illegal to hand out free milk samples.

Staff told the family to try all night service stations to find baby milk, and to ring the hospital back if they had no success.

But the hospital received no call because Mr Halim had decided to take action in his home town.

Mr Halim fumed: "At the time, I was in Bradford on business. When Shaneen rang she was in a really bad state.

"She said they had phoned the hospital but had been told no milk was available as it wasn't hospital policy."

After a 15 minute conversation with Queens Park labour ward staff, Mr Halim - who was over forty miles away - rang Bradford Royal Infirmary who suggested getting in contact with the police.

He said: "They directed me to another local hospital, Saint Luke's, where I eventually got the milk.

"They were appalled at what happened and gave me four bottles," Mr Halim added.

He then made his mercy dash across the Pennines at to get the milk to the baby, who, like her mother, was extremely distressed.

"I just couldn't believe it when I sat back and thought about it," said Mr Halim, who is a teacher in Keighley.

"Why they couldn't have just supplied the milk here I don't know. The hospital just left my wife and baby in agony. It's totally unforgivable."

Pauline Quinn, of Queens Park Hospital's Labour ward said: "I'm happy with the way we dealt with the matter. We did tell the family to call us back if they were stuck. I am disappointed that Mr Halim has gone to the Press rather than make a complaint through nthe correct channels.

"We were also accused of racism but I can assure every one that a Blackburn family would have received the same advice as anyone from anywhere else in the country."If we had felt it was necessary to call out a midwife to see to the baby, then we would have done.

"However, we actively promote a breast feeding policy and handing out milk does not help the mother in the long run. "

"I believe the midwife acted correctly and in good faith."

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