SIX more tissue banks have been set up in Malaysia since the establishment of the first tissue bank, the Tissue Bank Hospital at the Universiti Sains Malaysia campus in Kubang Kerian, in 1991.

The six that have been set up are the research tissue bank at Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Tun Hussein Onn Eye Bank, heart valve bank at National Heart Institute and bone banks at University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur Hospital and Kuching Hospital.

In all, more than 10,000 patients both in government and private hospitals have benefited from the usage of 12,000 amniotic membranes and 2,000 bone grafts.

The Malaysian government has dedicated funds in assisting the implementation of the programme that include RM12 million per year for organ and tissue transplantation services.

From this amount, RM4.3 million is to enhance cadaveric organ and tissue procurement service, public awareness promotional initiatives and upgrading of six identified mortuaries to accommodate a safe tissue procurement process.
A further RM32.4 million has been granted for the expansion of public cord blood banking facilities, development of stem cell research laboratories and strengthening of bone marrow/haematopoietic stem cell transplantation service.

Professor Dr Ahmad Sukari Halim has been one of the doctors who used amniotic membranes and skin allograft for the treatment of major burns, dermal burns and tumours.

Dr Ahmad Sukari, the senior consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, said they do skin replacement and bones together with orthopaedic surgeons.

"We have experience in the use of amniotic membranes, and due to its limitations we are also using skin, which is unfortunately very difficult to get."

Dr Ahmad started using skin allograft in 2001 after he got supply from Euro Skin Bank in Holland.

Human amnion has been used for many years as a temporary biological wound dressing in the management of partial thickness burns. Observed advantages of human amnion includes pain relief, prevention of infection and acceleration of wound healing.

Dr Ahmad said if a person suffers an 80 per cent burn he would need quite large amount of skin One square centimetre of skin costs RM6 and a patient with large areas of burn would need skin which could cost between RM5,000 and RM10,000.

"It's more of life saving and since we are short of skin we have to strategise. Our focus is on children with high risk of complications and adults with large area of burns."