No skin bank, no functional burn unit in Vidarbha; treatment gaps exposed

Nagpur: In the aftermath of a blast claiming at least 19 lives and injuring 23 others at detonator manufacturer SBL Energy Ltd near Kalmeshwar in Nagpur district, serious gaps in burn care infrastructure across Vidarbha came under focus, with medical associations confirming that there is currently no functional skin bank or dedicated burn unit anywhere in the region. This forces hospitals to manage critical burn victims without specialised facilities.Office-bearers of the Vidarbha Hospital Association told TOI that Vidarbha does not have a single operational skin bank at present. The only skin bank in the region was established over a decade ago at Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI), where 17 SBL factory workers with severe burn injuries are currently undergoing treatment.
However, the skin bank later shifted from OCHRI to Govt Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, where it became defunct. Hospital officials confirmed that due to ongoing renovation works, the 40-bed burns ward at GMCH, along with the skin bank, is presently non-functional. Medical experts pointed out that modern burn care requires advanced technical infrastructure, including negative pressure systems to control infection and ensure patient safety. Such facilities are currently unavailable in most hospitals. Also, only a handful of centres in the region with BMT (bone marrow transplant) facilities have such technical modalities, and even these are limited in number, restricting access to optimal burn management.The situation worsened further as Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College and Hospital, which earlier had a functioning burns unit, is also without one at present. The burns unit building was demolished to make way for a new modern facility, a process that is expected to take considerable time.As a result, Nagpur city currently has no operational burns unit and no skin bank, a reality that places immense strain on both govt and private healthcare systems. Private hospitals are now compelled to treat burn victims in routine intensive care units, which are not necessarily equipped with negative pressure rooms essential for infection control in severe burn cases.GMCH officials reiterated that the burns ward and skin bank shifted from OCHRI closed due to renovation works, and services will resume only after completion of the upgrades. Until then, experts warn that managing large-scale burn emergencies or industrial accidents will remain a major challenge.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !