Karnataka got its first skin bank, the sixth in the country, which was inaugurated at the State-run Victoria Hospital and Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute on Wednesday.
Doctors hope that the skin bank may help save the lives of countless burn victims, as harvested skin is the best form of "biological dressing" available today.
Although artificial skin is available, it is prohibitively expensive. The government has agreed to fund all skin grafts done at the skin bank, which was inaugurated by Minister for Medical Education Sharanprakash Patil. A nominal charge may be executed, said Dr. Segu.
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It will take a month for the lab to be sterilised and the first skin harvest to be made. The first specimens will need to be tested for two to three months before the skin is ready for treating patients.