2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 7, 2026 02:14 PM IST
In the ongoing Parliament Monsoon Session, BJP National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Vinod Shridhar Tawde on Thursday urged the government to strengthen the country’s skin donation and skin banking systems to improve treatment for patients suffering from severe burn injuries.
Raising the issue in a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Tawde said his experience after his mother’s death made him realise the importance of skin donation.
“This is a topic which I realised when my mother passed away. I want to urge the government to strengthen skin donation and skin banking systems to improve treatment,” he told the House.
Tawde said it acts as a temporary protective covering for patients, helping prevent infections and reduce excessive fluid loss until final treatment is available.
He told the Upper House that skin donation is already covered under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 and appreciated the government’s efforts to promote organ and tissue donation through the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). He added that increasing public awareness, expanding skin banking infrastructure and creating an integrated national system for skin retrieval and transportation would improve access to donated skin for burn victims.
Tawde also mentioned that skin can be donated within six hours of death and preserved for up to five years after retrieval. He said skin donation does not require blood group or tissue matching, and only the outermost layer of skin is removed, ensuring there is no visible disfigurement to the donor’s body.