Summary:

• Skin donation has taken place for the first time in Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
• A 42-year-old woman’s family agreed to donate her skin after her demise.
• The skin will be used to transplant burn patients or patients injured in accidents.
• Dr. Manish Singhal, head of the burn and plastic surgery department of AIIMS, explained the process of skin transplantation.
• About 70 lakh people suffer from burns in India every year, with 1.5 lakh patients losing their lives.
• The skin of a person suffering from severe infection or certain medical conditions is not fit for use.

Detailed News:

For the first time in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, skin donation has taken place. The family of a 42-year-old woman from Jaitpur agreed to donate her skin after her demise. Dr. Manish Singhal, head of the burn and plastic surgery department at AIIMS, explained that a part of the deceased woman’s skin was taken from her thigh and stored in the skin bank. This donated skin will be used for transplantation in burn patients or patients injured in accidents.

Dr. Manish further stated that the donated skin undergoes a processing procedure that takes about a week. It can be safely stored for four to five years. Unlike other organ donations, skin transplantation does not require a match in blood group or HLA (human leukocyte antigen) between the donor and the patient. Any person’s skin can be applied to any person. However, it is challenging to acquire skin for patients with more than 40 percent burns.

Every year, approximately 70 lakh people in India suffer from burns, and sadly, 1.5 lakh patients lose their lives. The availability of donated skin can significantly benefit burn victims and accident survivors.

Skin Eligibility for Donation:

Dr. Manish Singhal emphasized that although the skin of any deceased person can be donated, there are certain criteria to consider. The skin of children below 18 years of age is not taken for donation. Additionally, the skin of individuals above 80 years of age becomes thin, making it suitable for donation only within six hours of their demise. Moreover, the skin of a person suffering from HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, skin cancer, or any severe infection is not eligible for donation.