Established in 1998, the SGH Skin Bank (SSB) recovers, processes and stores donated human skin from deceased donors primarily to treat patients with major burns. Donated skin is prepared as grafts for transplantation, providing a critical barrier against infection, accelerating healing, and improving quality of life.

Since 2017, SSB has achieved a significant milestone by maintaining a stable local supply of donated skin, ensuring immediate availability for critically ill patients and mass casualty events. In earlier years, Singapore faced recurring shortages of donated skin and relied on imports from overseas tissue banks, a dependency that placed vulnerable patients at risk.

Yet we cannot be complacent. Emergencies strike without warning, and Singapore has seen a rise in fire-related incidents across both industrial and domestic settings. Coupled with the heightened risk of large-scale emergencies in an increasingly uncertain world, maintaining a reliable stockpile of donated skin is not only prudent but essential. When disaster strikes, major burn patients require donated skin promptly to improve their chances of survival and reduce the length of their hospital stay.

Without a consistent supply, Singapore risks being underprepared when it matters most. As donated skin has a limited shelf life, maintaining this stockpile depends on the community’s continued willingness to give.

To address this need, SSB regularly conducts community outreach and educational talks to raise awareness about skin donation and its critical role in emergency medical care. Many severe burn patients who are alive and well today owe their recovery, in part, to the generosity of donors and their families. Your decision to donate could be the turning point between loss and recovery for a burn patient in their most desperate moment.