Trust plans free skin bank for burns patients

VADODARA: Burn patients can hope to get the much-needed healing touch.
Akota Udhyan Parivar Trust (AUPT) along with practicing plastic surgeons of the city is ready to set up the state’s first skin bank. The trust is now waiting for a space at SSG Hospital or GMERS Hospital, Gotri to set up the bank.
Members of AUPT said that they will wait until February and if the state government does not allot them the required space then they will set up it as a private bank.
“Skin grafting is majorly needed in burn cases. Studies have shown that the survival rate of burns patient in central Gujarat is among the highest in the state. Doctors now rely on synthetic skin as a biological dressing, but a skin bank will help us give a better treatment to the patients who require skin grafting,” said city-based plastic surgeon and AUPT member Dr Umesh Shah.
The trust has already procured the required processing machines and storage units. “The bank needs an area of around 1,000 square feet. AUPT has set up a seed fund of Rs 35 lakh using which the equipment have been bought and the remaining fund will be used to maintain the center,” added Shah.
Data from the 108 emergency service state that on an average nearly 300 burn cases are reported to it across Gujarat of which 15 to 20 cases are from Vadodara. “The city presently requires 160 units of cadaveric skin for the number of patients we attend. The synthetic skin has been reported to cause infections and need extensive care, while biological skin is relatively safe,” said another plastic surgeon Dr Asit Vyas.
“We will provide a free service for skin grafting in cases of burns and accident. However, if a patient needs skin for cosmetic procedures they would have to pay Rs 500 for every 10 square centimeter of skin,” added AUPT member Hasmukh Patel.