Thiruvananthapuram: In a major boost to Kerala’s public healthcare system, the state’s first skin bank has become operational at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The facility is expected to significantly improve treatment outcomes for patients suffering from severe burns and extensive skin loss.

Health Minister Veena George said the skin bank aims to ensure world-class burn care within the public health sector. She added that steps are underway to establish a second skin bank at the Government Medical College, Kottayam, to further strengthen Kerala’s burn care network.

The skin bank preserves donated skin under strict safety and temperature-controlled conditions. After a chemical processing period of about three weeks, the skin is made suitable for clinical use and grafted onto patients using advanced plastic surgery techniques. Medical experts said the grafted skin acts as a biological dressing, reducing infection, pain, and fluid loss during the critical stages of recovery.

The first skin harvesting was made possible through the consent of the family of a brain-dead donor, underlining the importance of skin donation awareness. Officials clarified that skin retrieval does not cause visible disfigurement, as it is taken from non-visible areas. The initiative, coordinated with specialised burns ICUs, marks a major step forward in Kerala’s capacity for advanced burn management.