Skin bank opened, experts say only 30% of job is done

Bengaluru: Burns victims at Victoria Hospital have better hope of survival and speedy recovery, thanks to the skin bank inaugurated on the campus on Wednesday. It is a first-of-its-kind facility in Karnataka.
"The Mahabodhi Burns Centre at Victoria Hospital always lacked a skin bank, which would complement the treatment of burns and reduce patients' suffering and the mortality rate.Being the second largest in India, this burns care center admits 160 to 180 patients every month," said Dr Devdass P K, dean, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMRCI).
The Times of India was the first to report about the bank being set up. The Rotary Ashirvad BMRCI Skin Bank (RABSB) is the result of the collaborative efforts of BMRCI's plastic surgery department and Rotary Bangalore Midtown. Inaugurated by minister for medical education Sharan Prakash Rudrappa Patil, the bank is funded by Ashirvad Pipes Private Limited.
Dr Sunil Keswani, head of National Burns Centre, who provided the technical training and support for RABSB, said: "Setting up the bank is only 30% of the job. We still have a mammoth task at hand — we need to create awareness till we have skin collection centres across Karnataka and patients have access to skin in every nook and corner of the state."
"We partnered with Victoria Hospital and MidTown Rotary with the objective of providing cost effective and quality burns care to victims from all sections of society. Few know that many lives can be saved through skin donation. The bank is just the first step in that direction," said Pawan Poddar, managing director, Ashirvad Pipes.
A steering committee comprising representatives from Rotary Bangalore MidTown, BMCRI and Ashirvad Pipes will govern the bank's functioning.
HOW IT WORKS
· Like any other organ, skin needs to be pledged for donation by a living person or donated by the family after one's death
· Skin can be harvested within 6 hours of death either at hospital or home. The harvesting is done from the back and thigh with no bleeding or deformity to body. Donation doesn't hamper last rites
· Process takes less than 45 minutes
· Anyone aged above 16 can donate provided he/she doesn't have skin disease/cancer and tests negative for HIV and Hepatitis C
· Blood group of donor and recepient doesn't have to match
· Harvested skin is processed and stored as per international protocol in skin bank. The biological dressing not only saves lives but also relieves pain, reduces infection and increases chances of survival when the burns exceed 40%
· Skin required for burns victims within BMCRI will be issued through an indenting process. However, patients in other hospitals can avail it with a letter from a plastic surgeon