Pandemic brings down donations at skin bank

In past 9 months, nodal burns centre got only 22 skin donations, down from 200 between March and November last year

With barely any skin donations made since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the nodal skin bank National Burn Centre (NBC) at Airoli has been forced to turn back patients. Before the lockdown, NBC received around 20 skin donations a month and this monthly average has now come down to approximately four.

In the last nine months, NBC has received 22 skin donations compared to 200 donations received between March and November in 2019. This year in March, NBC got nine skin donations. Between April and August, not a single donation was recorded at the skin bank. In September, five skin donations were registered, followed by three in October and five in November.

“People are fearful of contracting Covid-19 so they avoid donating the skin of their loved ones after their death,” said Dr Sunil Keswani, medical director, NBC.

“Since the lockdown, we have been forced to turn away burnt patients from other states who need skin transplants. We are trying to reserve the limited resources for patients from Maharashtra,” he said.

Being the nodal burn centre in India, NBC gets burn patients from across the country. Donated skin is processed and stored in a skin bank before it is transplanted. It is used to help treat skin that has been badly burned or damaged. In cases of severe burns, for example, covering the area with skin from a donor helps to prevent infections, decrease pain, provide

protection, and enable faster healing. If a severe burn injury is not immediately covered with donated skin, an infection can develop, which can have serious consequences.

Dr Keswani said NBC has formulated safety protocol so that there is no danger of Covid transmission.

“We held meetings with skin banks across the country and have formulated rules to ensure the safety of people. The doctors retrieve the skin in protective suits and the possibility of infecting

the deceased relatives is almost nil,” he said.

According to NBC, its outpatient department (OPD) has received 229 burn patients between March and November, and 168 patients have been admitted with severe burn injuries.

Some of these burns were sustained because of false information that Covid-19 can be prevented by steam inhalation and very hot baths. Most of the burn patients are close contacts of Covid-positive individuals.