Cuttack, May 22: SCB Medical College and Hospital will set up an advanced skin bank, the first of its kind in any government institute in the state.

The proposed skin bank will help burn patients get rid of disfigured skin.

"We are planning to come up with a dedicated skin bank similar to the blood and eye banks where the tissue (skin) can be preserved and used to treat cases of burn and road accidents," said Arun Choudhry, head of the plastic surgery department at SCB.

Sources said the skin bank would be established at a cost of Rs 1 crore. The ambitious project would start immediately after the state government comes up with necessary notification regarding the organ transplant act.

A high-level meeting has been convened on May 26 and the state government is expected to bring in necessary changes in the law to overcome the legal hurdles related to organ transplants from people who have died.

"The changes in the law will pave way for collection of various organs, such as kidneys, liver and lungs from the bodies of the deceased," said an official.

According to the plan, the skin will be collected within six hours after the death of a person and can be preserved at the skin bank for up to five years. The skin tissue can be subsequently utilised or grafted on the patients at SCB's burn unit. Usually, healthy skin of the burn patient themselves or their family members are used for treatment of 50 to 60 per cent burn cases. Once donation from the deceased is approved, the skin can also be used for skin transplantation as no blood group or cross-matching is required for using the preserved skin.

According to an SCB doctor, 1,500 to 2,000 patients are treated every year at the burn unit. Plans are on to upgrade the existing department into a centre of excellence. The dedicated burn unit will provide advanced treatment to burn patients.