Post News Network
Cuttack, May 24: The health department and SCB Medical College and Hospital authorities have decided to open a skin bank which would be the first-of-its-kind in the country in terms of a facility at a government-run hospital. The proposed skin bank will help doctors save the lives of many burn victims at free of cost, said sources at the premier hospital.
“Some private hospitals in Mumbai, Chennai and Pune have set up skin banks with the help of western countries like Netherland. We have planned to establish the facility at SCB,” said Arun Kumar Choudhury, plastic surgery department head.
According to doctors, skin is the largest organ of the body which constitutes around 10 per cent of a person’s weight. A matured human being has 21 square feet skin. “The skin of a dead person can help in treatment of 50 burn patients. Doctors can collect the skin of a donor within six hours of death,” Choudhury said.
Doctors said skin collected from a donor can be grafted on affected areas of a burn patient irrespective of age and blood group. However, skins of people suffering from HIV, hepatitis, cancer and septicaemia are not suitable for medical use, they added.
According to sources, SCB has planned to form a special team comprising doctors, nurses and paramedics for collecting skin from donors. “A control room will be opened at the plastic surgery department to collect the name and address of donors. Doctors will use dermatome, a specially designed equipment, to collect skins from donors. Skins can be preserved for five years in the proposed bank,” said Asish Patnaik, an expert in the plastic surgery department.
Sources said SCB will take the help of some voluntary organisations to create awareness on skin donation among people.
According to official data, 989 burn patients were admitted to the hospital in 2015-16 while it was 935 in 2014-15, 874 in 2013-14 and 834 in 2012-13. “Doctors used to collect skin from other organs of burn patients for their treatment. They also use artificial skin occasionally. The proposed skin bank will provide free service to patients.” Choudhury said.