Delhi's first central tissue bank was inaugurated in September 2025 at the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS), marking a significant milestone for the city's healthcare infrastructure.
This state-of-the-art facility specializes in collecting, processing, and storing human tissues—mainly bone and soft tissue grafts—for use in dental, reconstructive, and some dermatological surgeries. The bank is housed within the Department of Periodontology at MAIDS and is the first such initiative in a dental institute in India.

Key highlights and functions of the tissue bank include:

• Reduction in treatment costs by approximately 25–30% for procedures such as jawbone repair, dental implants, and periodontal surgeries, making advanced treatments more accessible for patients.
• Collection of tissues primarily from live donors, such as bone fragments from orthopedic surgeries at associated hospitals like Lok Nayak Hospital, after thorough screening, sterilization, and preservation (e.g., freeze-drying, gamma irradiation).
• Compliance with international safety standards: The facility is equipped with specialized equipment (e.g., bone saw, UV-equipped laminar air-flow chamber, centrifuge, and deep freezer) to ensure the highest quality and safety of stored tissues.
• Allografts produced at the bank interact with the patient’s tissues as natural parts, providing superior outcomes compared to synthetic alternatives.
• Training support from international institutions (e.g., University of Malaysia, Singapore) for staff to maintain global standards.
• Broader clinical applications: While its primary focus is on dental surgery, the tissue bank also benefits ophthalmology and dermatology departments for other tissue-related treatments.

Previously, patients in Delhi had to rely on costly imports of bone and soft tissue grafts or be referred to facilities outside the city. The establishment of this tissue bank at MAIDS significantly improves access, affordability, and self-sufficiency in tissue-based treatments within Delhi.
Other government hospitals in Delhi, such as AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital, maintain their own bone or skin banks for orthopedic and burn patients. However, the MAIDS tissue bank is unique in its specialization for dental applications and in producing allografts that can help a larger number of patients from single donations.

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