Skin bank at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, to be inaugurated on July 15
The inauguration of the facility has been scheduled for July 15 to coincide with the World Plastic Surgery Day observance.
Skin banks are a valuable asset in the treatment of burn victims and patients with severe skin injuries. Skin banks collect and store skin from donors. The skin bank at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College has been constructed at a cost of ₹6.75 crore. The skin is stored in specific temperatures and systems. In situations where the skin of a patient who is being treated for burn injuries cannot be used, the bank can be resorted to for skin grafts, the Minister said.
The burns unit at the medical college functions under the Plastic Surgery department. Ms. George said that efforts are also on to establish a similar skin bank at the Government Medical College, Kottayam.
The State government also has plans to open more burns units across the State and standardise them, the Health Minister said.
Steps have been taken to open burns units at the medical colleges in Kollam, Alappuzha and Kannur. Plastic surgery departments were started at these medical colleges during the current government's term. The medical colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Thrissur and the general hospitals in Ernakulam and Kollam already have burns units.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Nipah: 425 on contact list, fever surveillance to be held
T'puram/ Kozhikode: There are a total of 425 people, including healthcare workers, on the Nipah contact list in state, said health minister Veena George on Saturday. National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, confirmed that death of 18-year-old girl from Chettiyarangadi, in Malappuram, on July 1 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode was due to Nipah infection. A 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara, in Palakkad, who also tested positive, is battling for life at Moulana Hospital, Perinthalmanna. Meanwhile, the central surveillance unit of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is in close contact with the state unit and is actively monitoring the situation after two Nipah virus cases were detected by Kerala IDSP. According to official sources, the deployment of a national joint outbreak response team is being considered. In Malappuram, there are 228 people, 110 in Palakkad and 87 people in Kozhikode on the contact list. Twelve persons are under treatment in Malappuram, with five in the ICU. One person on the contact list tested negative. In Palakkad, one person is under isolation treatment. There are 61 healthcare workers on the contact list in Palakkad. In Kozhikode district, all 87 people on the contact list are healthcare workers. Instructions have been given to conduct fever surveillance in the area, said George. Those on the contact list in Palakkad should be isolated there, she said. "Mental support should be ensured. Ambulances, including Kaniv 108, are on standby. Instructions have been given to intensify efforts to identify the source," said a statement issued after a high-level review meeting held on Saturday. No new person with symptoms in Malappuram Meanwhile, Malappuram district health administration intensified the surveillance programme in various parts of four panchayats. A special team conducted inspections in 20 wards of Makkaraparamba, Kuruva, Koottilangadi and Mankada panchayats. According to health authorities, more than 60 special health squads visited 1,655 houses in these panchayats on Saturday. No individuals with symptoms were identified in the survey conducted in these regions. With the confirmation of Nipah virus presence, four panchayats have already been declared as containment zones. Restrictions are in place in various wards of these panchayats. Authorities informed that in the containment zones, public gatherings should be avoided, wearing masks in public places is mandatory, gatherings should be minimised, commercial establishments are allowed to operate only from 8am to 6pm and educational institutions should remain closed. Awareness campaigns were conducted about Nipah prevention methods.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Nipah virus: 425 people under observation as Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode put on high alert
As many as 425 people entered the contact lists of two Nipah-infected persons in Kerala — 228 of them in Malappuram district, 110 in Palakkad and 87 in Kozhikode. The health machinery across these districts have been put on high alert as the Health department is battling to prevent the spread of Nipah. While an adolescent girl from Makkaraparamba near Malappuram succumbed to the deadly virus on June 1, a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad district is battling for life at Moulana Hospital in Perinthalmanna. Twelve persons are currently undergoing treatment in Malappuram — five of them in intensive care unit. However, one of them tested negative for the infection. The results of the others are awaited. In Palakkad, one person who came in contact with the infected woman is being treated in isolation. Of the 110 people in the contact list in Palakkad, 61 are health workers. In Kozhikode, all 87 on the list are health workers. The Health Department will soon begin a fever survey of houses within 3-km radius of the infected persons at Makkaraparamba and Thachanattukara. Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said that psychological assistance should be given to those on the contact lists. Meanwhile, the Health Department intensified its efforts to find the source of the Nipah virus that infected the two persons. Health officials began a surveillance in 20 wards of Makkaraparamba, Kuruva, Koottilangadi and Mankada panchayats in Malappuram district, and six wards of Thachanattukara and Karimpuzha panchayats in Palakkad district. Sixty-five teams of health officials visited 1,655 houses in Malappuram. They found none with the symptoms of the infection. People were advised to remain cautious. Deputy district medical officer N.N. Pameeli, technical assistants C.K. Suresh Kumar and M. Shahul Hameed, and epidemiologist D. Kiran Raj led the survey. A 10-year-old boy, a relative of the Nipah-infected woman at Thachanattukara, was hospitalised with high fever. Doctors said they were closely monitoring his condition. Palakkad District Collector Priyanka G. warned people against violating the regulations in the containment zones. A 24x7 control room was opened to deal with the situation, and 26 outbreak response committees were formed by including specialist doctors of Government Medical College, Palakkad, and senior government officials. Also read: Nipah restrictions in 20 wards in Malappuram, 6 in Palakkad For the health officials in Malappuram district, the Nipah protocols are familiar as the district had witnessed three back-to-back Nipah cases within a year. While a 14-year-old boy died of Nipah infection near Pandikkad on July 21, 2024, a 24-year-old man died at Wandoor two months later. In May this year, a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery tested positive. Although she survived the deadly virus, she is yet to completely recover.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Satheesan calls for Minister's resignation citing crisis in Kerala's health sector
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of gross negligence in the health sector and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Veena George following the tragic incident at Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital where a woman lost her life after a building collapsed. Addressing the media at Chalakudy on Saturday, Mr. Satheesan alleged that instead of coordinating rescue efforts, two Ministers merely arrived at the scene to deliver speeches, further delaying critical response time. 'The Ministers claimed that the building was sealed and that no one was inside. The rescue operations started only after the intervention of Chandy Oommen, MLA,' he said. Mr. Satheesan recalled how during the COVID-19 crisis, Congress leaders like V.K. Sreekandan and Shafi Parambil attempted to help migrant workers with essentials like drinking water, only to be labelled 'merchants of death' by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. 'Now, who really fits that label?' he asked. Mr. Satheesan alleged that the entire health system is on a ventilator, and the Health Minister stands guilty before the public. 'She is repeatedly making mistakes, and yet the party is shielding her. Even doctors and officials aligned with the Left admits the truth,' he said, demanding her immediate resignation. 'The PR machinery is working overtime to shield the government. But we will expose every act of negligence and corruption in the health sector,' Mr. Satheesan said. Communicable diseases Highlighting the deteriorating state of public hospitals, he pointed out that Kerala now leads the country in communicable diseases, yet government hospitals lack basic drugs and surgical equipment. The government reportedly owes ₹1,100 crore to the Kerala Medical Services Corporation alone. 'In places like Kozhikode and Thrissur Government Medical College Hospitals, patients are forced to carry scissors, thread, and cotton to hospitals,' he added. 'The health sector is in shambles, and the people are paying the price for the government's arrogance and incompetence,' the Opposition Leader said. 'The Health Minister must take the responsibility and step down. This is no longer a political demand, but a moral necessity.'
