Published Jul 05, 2025 | 7:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 05, 2025 | 7:53 PM
Kerala’s first skin bank to be inaugurated at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College on July 15
Kerala’s first-ever skin bank will be inaugurated at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College on July 15, coinciding with World Plastic Surgery Day.
Health Minister Veena George announced the milestone, stating that all necessary facilities have been set up for the skin bank, established at a cost of ₹6.75 crore.
The skin bank, approved by the Kerala Network for Organ Sharing (KNOS), will collect and preserve skin from donors, providing life-saving grafts for patients suffering from severe burns.
Stored under controlled temperatures, the preserved skin can be transplanted onto burn victims, significantly reducing pain, preventing infection, and speeding up recovery.
Plans are also underway to set up a skin bank at Kottayam Government Medical College.
Kerala has been actively strengthening its burns care infrastructure, with burns units functioning at Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Thrissur medical colleges.
Similar units are operational at Ernakulam General Hospital and Kollam District Hospital, while new facilities are being developed at Kozhikode, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kannur medical colleges.
The government has also standardized burns ICUs in medical colleges to minimize infection risks and offer critical care for patients with over 10 percent burns, under the supervision of plastic surgery departments.
