Expertise & Experience

Key statistics

On average, STTC receives 20 donors per year and supplies donated human tissues (skin, heart valves and iliac vessels) for 43 transplant procedures.

Key milestones

Our journey

STTC's roots trace back to 1998, when SSB was founded as Singapore's first dedicated bank for donated human skin, primarily serving patients with severe burns. Over the years, SSB grew from dependence on imported skin to full self-sufficiency in 2017, when local donations met the Ministry of Health's minimum stockpile requirement — a significant milestone reflecting the improved acceptance of tissue donation in Singapore.

NCHB was established in 2008, specialising in donated human heart valves and vascular tissues, mainly iliac vessels. In 2014, it became the first of the two tissue banks to receive accreditation from the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), setting a strong foundation for the quality standards that would define STTC.

Following the merger in 2015, STTC achieved AATB accreditation in 2016 as a multi-tissue bank, reflecting its unwavering commitment to international quality standards in service of Singapore's healthcare system.

Collaboration with National University Hospital (NUH) and SGH Liver Transplant Programmes

In 2010, NCHB established a collaboration with the NUH Liver Transplant Programme, followed by the SGH Liver Transplant Programme in 2015. Through these collaborations, NCHB processes, banks and distributes iliac vessels recovered by both liver transplant teams, alongside those recovered directly by NCHB, ensuring stable supply of iliac vessels for national use.

Asia Pacific Forum on Skin Banking

SSB played a pivotal role in shaping regional skin banking standards through the Asia Pacific Forum on Skin Banking, an initiative conceived by Associate Professor Chong Si Jack, Medical Director of SSB and former President of the Asia Pacific Burns Congress (APBC). Recognising the need for a unified approach across the region, A/Prof Chong spearheaded efforts to bring together representatives from 11 countries: Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to develop a standardised skin banking guideline for the Asia Pacific region.

Three forums were held across 2018, with the guidelines progressively developed and refined at each gathering. SSB hosted the inaugural forum in Singapore in February, followed by participation in subsequent forums held in Chongqing, China in May, and New Delhi, India in December. Throughout all three forums, A/Prof Alvin Chua Wen Choong, then Assistant Director of STTC, served as Lead of the Skin Tissue Banking Workgroup, presenting the evolving framework and tracking the guidelines' progress.

The guidelines were accepted in their entirety at the concluding forum in New Delhi, and the 1st Edition of the Guidelines for Skin Banking in Therapeutic Application was formally promulgated at the 12th Asia Pacific Burns Congress in August 2019. This marked a landmark achievement for SSB, cementing its role as a regional leader in skin banking collaboration and practice.