A growing number of individuals have come forward to donate skin in support of burn victims injured in the Milestone School plane crash. As of 27 July, more than 100 people have expressed interest in donating skin at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Among them, seven have been selected as suitable donors for skin grafting procedures. This rise in voluntary donations offers a glimmer of hope for the recovery of those still undergoing treatment.
At present, 34 individuals injured in the crash are receiving medical care at the institute. All of them are suffering from varying degrees of burn injuries. Skin grafting, a process where donor skin is transplanted onto wounded areas, is being used as a critical method to aid healing and prevent infections. Dr Mahbub Hasan, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Skin Bank at the institute, stated that although the current focus is on the children injured in the crash, once skin is processed and preserved, it is allocated based on need—not on donor preference.
Dr Mahbub added that the institute initially had around 9,000 square centimeters of skin in storage. Of that, approximately 3,500 to 4,000 square centimeters have already been used on the victims, and an additional 3,000 to 4,000 may be needed. Fortunately, the institute still has sufficient supply in stock. However, due to fully occupied operation theatres, no skin is being collected at this moment. Those found medically fit have been registered and will be contacted as needed.
He also clarified that skin is typically collected from the donor’s thigh under anaesthesia, and it regenerates within two weeks. The process carries no long-term health consequences for the donor. The skin bank, which began operating in January this year, prioritizes cadaver (post-mortem) donations but also accepts living donations after proper screening and counselling. Donor skin can be preserved for up to five years.
In the meantime, two more patients injured in the Milestone crash have been released from the burn institute. This brings the total number of discharged patients to four. One of them, Kazi Amzad, was a civilian rescuer who risked his life to help others during the incident, and the other was Sabuja Akter, a staff member of Milestone School. According to Professor Dr Md Nasir Uddin, Acting Director of the institute, both were discharged after their conditions improved significantly.
Currently, 34 patients remain admitted to the burn unit, including 28 children and 6 adults. Among them, four are in critical condition, with two patients—14-year-old Ayan and Nabid Newaz—on life support due to extensive burns and inhalation injuries. Other patients are being treated in various units of the hospital, including the ICU, High Dependency Units (HDU), post-operative wards, and cabins. Nine patients are reported to be in severe condition, seven have inhalation injuries, and six have burns covering over 30% of their bodies.
The Ministry of Health has also revised the official death toll from the Milestone School plane crash. As of 4pm on 27 July, the number of confirmed deaths stands at 33, down from the previously reported figure of 35. A total of 46 individuals are still undergoing treatment across various hospitals in Dhaka.
