Skin Bank

• North India’s first skin bank opens in Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.
• The country has 16 skin banks — a facility where the skin of deceased persons can be donated — with 7 in Maharashtra, 4 in Chennai, 3 in Karnataka, and 1 each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

ABOUT SKIN BANK

• A skin bank is a place where cadaveric skin is processed and preserved under optimal conditions from where it can be used for the benefit of Burn victims.
• Anyone can donate Skin irrespective of sex & blood group; the minimum age of the donor should be 18 years.
  • There is no upper age limit.
• The skin of a deceased person can be donated within six hours of death.
• The donor’s skin is taken out only from the back of the thighs and legs and the thickness is only 3mm. It means a total of 1000-3000 sqm.
• The skin is then extracted, harvested, and processed, which takes five to six weeks.
• After this, it can be provided to patients.
• Unlike a kidney and liver, which cannot be stored and need to be transplanted within a few hours of donation, skin can be stored for three to five years by preserving in 85% glycerol solution.