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Mumbai's Skin Donations Lag: Burn Victims Wait
23 Apr
Summary
- Mumbai faces a severe skin donation shortage, with 150 patients monthly versus only 30 donations.
- Misconceptions prevent many from donating skin, hindering burn victim recovery.
- Kitchen accidents cause most burns, disproportionately affecting women and children.
Doctors in Mumbai are urgently highlighting a critical shortage in skin donations, with numbers remaining stagnant over recent years. The city faces a significant disparity, with 150 patients monthly on the waitlist for skin grafts, yet only approximately 30 donations are made.
These donations are distributed among the National Burns Centre in Airoli and skin banks at KEM Hospital and Sion Hospital. This scarcity directly impacts the recovery and survival rates of burn victims, a situation exacerbated by widespread public misconceptions regarding the donation process.
Dr. Sunil Keswani, head of the National Burns Centre, clarified that skin donation involves taking only a thin layer from specific body parts, assuring that the deceased's body is treated with respect. Nationally, 70 lakh burn injury cases occur annually, with a substantial portion potentially saved through increased skin donations.
The majority of burn victims are women and children, with kitchen accidents being the primary cause. Additionally, factory workers often suffer severe chemical burns, with many severe cases being transferred to specialized centers like the Airoli Burns Centre due to inadequate infection control in public hospitals.
