Bengaluru: Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil inaugurated Bengaluru’s first skin bank at Victoria hospital on Wednesday.

The Mahabodhi Burns Centre at Victoria Hospital’s skin bank known as Rotary Ashirvad BMCRI Skin Bank (RABSB) is the largest in South India and the second largest in the country after Safdarjung Hospital.

Dr Patil said that the skin bank can admit 160-180 patients per month and would help in reducing the mortality rate of burn victims.

Dr Smita Singh, Associate professor, unit of plastic surgery, Victoria Hospital, explained the importance of the skin bank saying that victims with 40-50% burns could get immense help.

Rotary Bangalore Midtown took the initiative and Ashirvad Pipes volunteered to fund the infrastructure and equipment at the skin bank.

“We partnered with BMCRI’s Victoria Hospital and MidTown Rotary to provide cost-effective and quality burn care treatment to all victims from all sections of society,” said Mr Pawan Poddar, Managing Director, Ashirvad Pipes.