One of New Delhi’s premier Government institutions, the Safdarjung Hospital was in news as it opened not just the Capital’s but North India’s first skin bank. Here the skin of deceased donors will be stored to help needy patients.

• The bank was inaugurated by Dr. B.L. Sherwal, Medical Superintendent of SSafdarjung Hospital.
• At present there are 16 skin banks in India of which seven are in Maharashtra, four in Chennai, three in Karnataka and one each in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
• Talking to the media, Dr. Shalabh Kumar, Head of Department Burns and Plastic Surgery said earlier people would call them asking for skin donations but they were unable to act on it. The setting up of this bank will now be of great assistance.
• In India every year seven to 10 million people sustain burns and out of these 1.4 lakhs lose their lives while 1.5 lakh develop various deformities. Cadaveric skin will help in reducing the mortality and increase the survival rate of these patients. If severely burnt or damaged skin is not covered with a skin substitute, it can cause infection.