Delhi’s first govt tissue bank to open at MAIDS after 5 yrs of wait

Previously, MAIDS had to source grafts internationally, costing ₹20,000-25,000 for 0.5 cc, making surgeries prohibitively expensive, officials said

Delhi government-run Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) is set to launch its tissue bank this year, five years after the initial announcement in 2019, officials said on Wednesday. The facility will provide freeze-dried bone and skin grafts for transplantation and other treatments, significantly reducing treatment costs, they added.

According to officials, MAIDS will become the first Delhi government hospital with a tissue bank. (File Photo)

The tissue bank, led by Dr Arundeep Kaur, head of the periodontics department, will store grafts primarily sourced from live donors. “The initiative will address high cases of periodontal diseases in northern India and aid in treating accident and tumor patients,” said Dr Farrukh Faraz, associate professor at MAIDS. The hospital handles around 400 such cases monthly.

Previously, MAIDS had to source grafts internationally, costing ₹20,000-25,000 for 0.5 cc, making surgeries prohibitively expensive, officials said. “By producing grafts in-house, the cost will drop to ₹300, improving affordability and treatment quality,” added Dr Faraz.

Unlike cadaveric tissue banks, MAIDS will primarily use live donor grafts sourced from orthopedic surgeries, such as hip replacements, officials said. These procedures often produce discarded bone fragments that can be sterilised using gamma radiation and freeze-dried for preservation. Lok Nayak Hospital will serve as a consistent donor source due to its high volume of orthopedic surgeries, Dr Faraz, adding that this will provide a consistent source of bone grafts.

According to officials, MAIDS will become the first Delhi government hospital with a tissue bank. Similar facilities are available in All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, which runs a bone and skin bank, and Safdarjung Hospital, which has a skin bank, they added.