Indian Army’s Skin Bank

27.06.2024

Indian Army’s Skin Bank

Why in the news?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

          The Indian Army has recently launched a skin bank facility

About the Indian Army’s Skin Bank:

• It was launched to help treat severe skin burn injuries and other skin-related conditions for service personnel and their families.
• The first-of-its-kind facility established in the Armed Forces Medical Services Is staffed with trained medical professionals, including plastic surgeons, tissue engineers, and specialized technicians.
• It will serve as a centralized hub for the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of skin grafts, providing a "critical resource" for military medical centers across the country.

What is a Skin Bank?

• It is a facility where skin is taken from an eligible donor, and processed, and stored under appropriate temperature for up to five years.
• Skin from a deceased person can be donated within six hours after death.
• Anyone can donate skin, irrespective of sex and blood group. The donor's minimum age should be 18 years.
• The skin of persons suffering from AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Skin Cancer, Active skin Disease and Septicemia are considered unfit for donation.
• This donated skin is then collected and processed over five to six weeks and frozen until it's needed.
• The skin is generally preserved in 85% glycerol solution. It is stored between 4-5 degrees Celsius for up to 5 years.
• When a burn victim requires skin for their injuries, a surgical procedure called skin grafting is conducted.

What is Skin Grafting?

• It is a simple process when a piece of healthy skin is transplanted to a different area of the body where the skin is damaged or missing.
• There are two main types of skin grafts: autograft (skin is taken from another part of the patient's own body) and allograft (skin is taken from a donor, often sourced from a skin bank).
• Any skin can be used on anybody, and within two to three weeks post-grafting, the doctors can determine whether the patient is accepting it or not.

                                               Source: India Today

Ques :- Consider the following statements with reference to the Skin Bank:

Statement-I

It was launched to help treat severe skin burn injuries of service personnel and their families.

Statement-II

 Anyone can donate skin, irrespective of sex and blood group with the minimum age of 18.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer A