Kerala’s first skin bank at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College marks a critical advancement in burn care, addressing a long-standing gap in emergency and trauma treatment in the state.
Skin banks play a vital role in saving lives of patients with severe burn injuries. When a person suffers deep burns, their own skin often cannot be used for grafting due to damage or infection. In such cases, preserved donor skin serves as a temporary biological dressing. It reduces fluid loss, protects against infections, eases pain, and buys time for the patient until their own skin can regenerate or until further reconstructive procedures are possible.
Until now, burn victims in Kerala often had to travel to cities like Chennai or Bengaluru for access to skin grafting facilities—delays that proved costly in critical care situations. With the establishment of the skin bank in the state capital, patients can now receive timely treatment without leaving Kerala.
The donor skin is collected with prior consent through the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO), following ethical and legal protocols. It is then processed and preserved under sterile conditions using advanced cryo-preservation methods.
Medical experts say that a functional skin bank can drastically improve burn survival rates, especially in mass casualty incidents like fire accidents or industrial disasters. “This is not just an infrastructure milestone—it is a lifesaving necessity,” said a senior plastic surgeon.
Alongside the new skin bank, specialized Burns Units are being developed across the state to ensure proper clinical management of burn injuries. Functional units already exist in medical colleges at Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Thrissur, with new ones under construction in Kozhikode, Alappuzha, and Kannur.
A second skin bank is also planned at Kottayam Medical College in the near future. Experts argue that while infrastructure expansion is welcome, public awareness about skin donation remains low. Without an active donor registry and widespread education, the availability of skin grafts may fall short of demand, particularly during emergencies.
