Kuwait to open first skin bank and microsurgery lab in major healthcare leap

Dubai: Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has announced plans to open the country’s first skin bank and microscopic surgery laboratory, as part of efforts to improve healthcare services and treat severe burn cases more effectively.

The announcement was made by Dr Abdullah Al Fars, Assistant Undersecretary for Supportive Medical Services, on behalf of Minister of Health Dr.Ahmed Al Awadhi, during the Second Multidisciplinary Kuwait Conference on Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Medicine.

The new facilities will be built under the supervision of Al Babtain Burns and Plastic Surgery Center, Kuwait’s only specialised centre for burn and plastic surgery. In 2023, the centre treated over 20,000 patients and performed 1,200 surgeries.

According to Dr Ahmed Al Ali, a surgeon at Al Babtain, the skin bank will store donated skin from deceased individuals for use in emergency burn surgeries. He said the new facility will help save lives and improve treatment outcomes for critical cases.

The upcoming microsurgery lab will support advanced procedures in reconstructive and plastic surgery, improving precision and patient recovery.

The announcement comes alongside growing cooperation with international institutions. Dr Al Ali highlighted a joint research program with Harvard University, which recently sent Professor Kavita Raghunathan, Chair of Craniofacial Reconstructive Surgery, to perform advanced operations in Kuwait and train local surgeons.

Dr Mohammed Khalaf, Chairman of the conference and head of the Plastic Surgery Department, said the new projects aim to raise the standard of care and strengthen Kuwait’s role in the region as a leader in medical innovation.

Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE