About Rotary Ashirvad Skin Bank
About Rotary Ashirvad Skin Bank Rotary Ashirvad BMCRI Skin Bank (RAB Skin Bank) at Victoria Hospital is the first Skin Bank in Karnataka, it is also the First Skin Bank in the Government Hospital, established and supported by NGO’s in the entire country. The NGO’s behind this much needed facility are Rotary Bangalore Midtown(a premium 100% Paul Harris Rotary Club) , Ashirvad Pipes Pvt Ltd & Human Healing Foundation
Rotary Ashirvad Skin Bank
Victoria Hospital
BangaloreHistory
The first report on skin freezing was by Mider and Morton in 1939. In 1945 Strumia and Hodges published the first article on the freezing of rat skins. Medawar and Wilfingcr published the first article on cryopreservation, using 14% Gycerol as an anti-freeze.
History of tissue banking is as old as use of skin grafting. Reverdin in 1869 described skin graft in clinical practice for the first time. In 1871, George Pollock used his own skin along with patient’s skin for coverage of a burn wound. Girdner in 1881, first reported successful use of Cadaver allograft in burn wound. Wentscher in 1903, reported that skin graft stored in refrigerator after harvesting, retain their viability for 3 to 14 days.1
Following these successes, clinicians started using more allografts for wound coverage to save major burns patients. With advent of blood bank establishments in 1930, the foundation of tissue banks also started taking shape. US navy established its first tissue bank in 1949. Research in prolonging the viability of graft, by storage below zero degree Celsius temperature, done by Baxter in 1948, Billingham and Medawar in 1952, further strengthened the roots of establishment of tissue bank in large number of institutions.
Conception
If the Skin Bank’s intention is to save thousands of burn and trauma victims but also to relieve the excruciating pain that these victims suffer otherwise as a result of burnt skin and underlying tissues. The NGO’s behind this RAB Skin Bank realised the need for such a facility in Bangalore, Victoria Hospital in particular as it has India’s 2nd biggest Burns care unit with 54 Burn Beds managed by its Plastic Surgery Department which is currently facing many challenges and shortfalls including lack of an essential facility “The SKIN BANK”. As a result, despite the best efforts by the limited Doctors and Nurses at this 54 bed Burns care unit, the victims with Burns more than 40% of body surface area face death after few days or weeks of suffering due to lack of the SKIN until 2016.3
Now that the Rotary Ashirvad Skin Bank is established, it is indeed in place and functional with 4 full time dedicated in house staff to operate the facility 24/7 with intention to save thousands of burn and trauma victims anywhere in Bangalore, Karnataka and with open arms to help its neighbouring states.
If RAB Skin Bank can provide how much ever cadaver skin demanded by the doctors treating these victims without putting price on it, then the year 2016 can be marked as the year in Karnataka’s History, elevating itself to a position saving victims with more than 40% burns consistently.
However, this can be possible only when people of Bangalore and Karnataka are generous to pledge skin(now) and donate the skin later(after life). Pledging self is probably the easier thing to do, but what is courageous is to encourage the dear ones at the hour grief to take a decisive step to relieve somebody else’s grief by donating a thin layer of skin from the legs which will be dressed in honour.
Commissioning
The Karnataka’s 1st Skin Bank was commissioned on 30th JUNE 2015 by Rotary Bangalore Midtown Club by entering into a formal MOU with Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute(BMCRI) to accommodate the facility and use the same for its India’s 2nd biggest burns unit, Ashirvad Pipes Pvt Ltd for funding this facility and National Burns centre, Mumbai to mentor the commissioning of Rotary Midtown Ashirvad BMCRI Skin Bank.
With the same Vigour and Commitment the Director of Community Service Committee Rtn Mr Anil Lala and the members of Rotary Bangalore Midtown Spearheaded by Rtn Dr Gunasekar Vuppalapati pressed for the successful completion of setting up the project with entire funding from Poddar brothers of Ashirvad Pipes Pvt Ltd under its CSR activity while the office furniture gifted by Mr Jawahar Gopal of Featherlite Furniture all from the Rotary Bangalore Midtown. The Civil works for the 1000sft skin bank facility housing a 300sft Skin Process Lab and Storage was sponsored by Dr Nagaraj A Plastic Surgery Alumini of BMCRI now practicing at Bellary. Throught the phase of setting up the skin Bank at Victoria Hospital behind the Trauma Block, the Dean and Director of BMCRI Dr Devadoss as well as the entire Plastic Surgery Department headed by Dr Ramesh K T and Dr Smitha Segu extended full support right from getting the permission from the Ministry, identifying the place, getting the execution of Civil works, Tissue Banking License, recruiting the Human resources and organising the inauguration of Skin Bank.
Thus, Rotary Ashirvad BMCRI Skin Bank was successfully implemented within 9 months and Dedicated to People on 31st March 2016.
Key Partners
ROTARY BANGALORE MIDTOWN
A Hundred member strong organization, chartered in the year 1977, has a membership base that comprises of leaders in many vocations. During the last 30 years Midtown has demonstrated its commitment of service to society, by executing projects that are unparalleled and of great benefit to the underprivileged.
Gottigere, a village in the outskirts of Bangalore, has been benefited by a number of initiatives taken up by Rotary Bangalore Midtown. A Charitable Dispensary has been set up, in this village, which distributes free medicines to over 15000 patients every year. Health Camps for the benefit of the villagers are conducted once a month in this dispensary. Two schools in Gottigere have been adopted, which caters to over 2500 children. Support is given by constructing Class rooms, equipment for these class rooms, uniforms, books, computers etc. Other than these schools the Raza Educational Society, Govt. Primary School – Austin Town, etc, have been under the care of Midtown.
The Life Saving Brigade Project, an initiative of Midtown, has saved many lives during the “Golden Hour”. Ten state of the Art ambulances have been donated to various leading hospitals in and around Bangalore. These ambulances are fully equipped and ready to serve those in emergency.
Support to the physically challenged, by providing artificial Limbs to the needy through the Limb-a – Day Project is another community initiative taken up by Midtown. Providing shelter by constructing over 127 homes to the rehabilitating slum dwellers at Hoskerahalli, Bangalore, was another massive project.
ASHIRVAD PIPES PVT LTD
The Managing Director of Ashirvad Pipes Pvt Ltd, Rtn Pawan Poddar, his Younger Brothers Rtn Deepak and Mr Vikas Poddars who led the company which started producing pipes in 1998 at Bangalore to make an incredible growth story bagging a National award from Prime Minister in 2008. Thrilled the markets by cruising through the landmark 1000crore turnover in 2013 only to attract MNC Europian Giant in the industry Auxilias SA to join hands and joined the club of “top 100 FASTEST GROWING MARKETING BRANDS IN ASIA’ as ranked by KPMG in 2014. Humbled by the heart he has to fund this entire project, humbled being the fellow Midtown rotarian, Above all, humbled in his Press note for his assurance to help providing cost effective and quality burn care treatment to all burn victims from all sections of society. I hope he is aware that the SKIN BANK is only one part of the Burn care. Infact optimal Burn care is the most expensive of all the treatments known in the world. Now that the Ashirvad has become the partner in the burn care in Bangalore by generously funding this first Skin Bank in Karnataka, we hope APPL will continue to SUPPORT the Skin Bank in particular and the Burn care at large.
NBC – NATIONAL BURNS CENTRE
Mahabodhi Burns care centre of BMCRI being the largest burns unit in south India with 54 beds with as many as 160 to 200 burn admissions every month, just second to Safdarjung Hospital of New Delhi. Hence BMCRI was the most naturally suited Hospital for having the much needed Skin Bank. Since the Dean Dr Devdass P K is one of the most dynamic and proactive in the subject of organ donation. he has been behind the most organ donations in this region enabling many transplant units to give second lease of life to many organ failure patients. Learning his vision for Organ Donation, Rotary has placed full faith that he would ensure the Skin bank will get as much attention as any other organ donation program and will make it touch newer heights in rendering its service. Dr Ramesh K T & Dr Smitha Segu, Faculty of Plastic Surgery at BMCRI have been extremely involved and responsible in setting up of the Skin Bank in coordination with the National Burns Centre, Mumbai. They are fully prepared with their technical team rendering the service with full commitment
MAHABHODHI BURN CENTRE
Mahabodhi Burns care centre of BMCRI being the largest burns unit in south India with 54 beds with as many as 160 to 200 burn admissions every month, just second to Safdarjung Hospital of New Delhi. Hence BMCRI was the most naturally suited Hospital for having the much needed Skin Bank. Since the Dean Dr Devdass P K is one of the most dynamic and proactive in the subject of organ donation. he has been behind the most organ donations in this region enabling many transplant units to give second lease of life to many organ failure patients. Learning his vision for Organ Donation, Rotary has placed full faith that he would ensure the Skin bank will get as much attention as any other organ donation program and will make it touch newer heights in rendering its service. Dr Ramesh K T & Dr Smitha Segu, Faculty of Plastic Surgery at BMCRI have been extremely involved and responsible in setting up of the Skin Bank in coordination with the National Burns Centre, Mumbai. They are fully prepared with their technical team rendering the service with full commitment
BMCRI
The Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute was started as a private Medical college in the year 1955 by Mysore Education Society. The Founders of this Society were Dr. R. Shivaram, Dr. Mekhri, Dr. B.K. Narayana Rao and Dr. B.V. Ramaswamy. In the year 1957 it was handed over to the then Government of Mysore and was affiliated to Mysore University and then on to the Bangalore University. In the year 1996 it got affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute has MCI recognition for Undergraduate 150 seats + 100 seats admitted under 10A of MCI rules, 135 Postgraduate Masters Degree, 71 Diploma seats, {MS Anatomy, MD Physiology, MD Biochemistry, MD Pharmacology, MD Pathology, MD Microbiology, MD P & SM, MD Forensic Medicine,MS Ophthalmology, MS ENT, MS Orthopedics, MD Anesthesiology, MD Paediatrics, MD Gen. Medicine, MD Gen. Surgery, MD OBG, MD Radio Diagnosis, MD Radio Therapy, MD Psychiatry, MD Skin & V.D} and Super Speciality seats for M.Ch Urology, M.Ch Plastic Surgery, M.Ch Paediatric Surgery is recognised by MCI. DM Neurology, M.Ch Surgical Gastroenterology admitted under 10A of MCI rules.
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute has Fellowship programmes in Vitreo Retina, Surgical Gastroenterology, Neurology, Cornea & External diseases of Eye, Cosmetic Dermatology,Glaucoma, Paediatric Dermatology, Paediatric Anaesthesiology, Accident Trauma & Emergency Care, Community Ophthalmology and Dermato Surgery with 2 seats each. Para-medical courses are Medical lab technician, X-ray technician, Medical record technician, Health inspector, Ophthalmology, Operation Theatre Technician simultaneously being run in the Institution and also Allied science like B.Sc Medical lab technician and B.Sc Operation Theatre Technician are also running by the institution.
Four major hospitals are attached to this institution:
- Victoria Hospital
- Vani Vilas Women and Children’s Hospital
- Minto Ophthalmic Hospital
- Bowring & Lady Curzon Hospital
The Institute is also involved in community health services at the Urban Family Welfare center, Siddiah road and Primary health centers at Sondekoppa, K G Halli, Hesarghatta and Pavagada.
Emergency services are available 24 hours including Traumatology and Blood bank 2-CT Scanners have been installed- one at Victoria Hospital and one at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. These hospitals and the facilities provided by the Institution caters to half of the population of Bangalore City and surrounding areas. The bed strength is around 2992.
120
Years of
Foundation
600
+monthly
donors
4000
incredible
volunteers
450
