Owners of illegal blood banks warned

Rawalpindi
Sale and purchase of infected blood is a heinous crime and the owners of illegal blood banks would be awarded three-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs15,000 under Safe Blood Ordinance 1999.
This was stated by Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Health Khawaja Imran Nazir while addressing the concluding ceremony of a one-day Blood Transfusion Training Workshop at Holy Family Hospital here on Monday.
The blood transfusion inspectors participated in the training workshop. Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority Secretary Dr. Muhammad Jafar Saleem was present on the occasion.
Khawaja Imran Nazir said that under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the government is committed to provide basic health facilities to patients. In order to promote safe blood transfusion practices, a series of training workshops had been started in the province.
He said that international experts on blood transfusion have been engaged for experience and knowledge sharing purposes. He appreciated the dedicated spirit of Romanian expert Dr. Alina Dobrota for deliberations on blood transfusion methods.
The provincial parliamentary secretary underlined the role of medical practitioners for ensuring use of screened blood and pointing out those who had been indulged in illegal business of infected blood which is causing transmission of AIDS, hepatitis and other fatal diseases. He said that the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority has been activated to regularise blood banks besides initiating action against unregistered blood banks.
Earlier, Dr. Muhammad Jafar Saleem briefed on the working and new initiatives of Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority. Paul Khorst talked about regulatory issues and role of inspection in blood transfusion. Dr. Alina Dobrota elaborated blood transfusion process and activities. Dr. Javeria Aijaz briefed on inspection process of Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority.
Later, Khawaja Imran Nazir distributed certificates among the participants.
Meanwhile, two blood banks located in Ahmed Medical Complex and Bilal Hospital, Rawalpindi, were sealed by a team of health officials due to non-adherence of prescribed SOPs of Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority during surprise visit of Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Health Khawaja Imran Nazir, DCO Rawalpindi Sajid Zafar Dall and EDO Health Dr. Khalid Randhawa on Tuesday.
While paying surprise visits, Khawaja Imran Nazir expressed annoyance over deplorable condition of District Hospital’s blood bank where technicians failed to reply to the questions of Provincial Parliamentary Secretary Health and EDO Health regarding proper screening, storage and re-examining quality before blood transfusion.
The administration of Bilal Hospital did not satisfy the visiting team about the queries regarding tests of five fetal ailments, including HIV, Hepatitis B & C.
The parliamentary secretary warned that strict legal action would be taken against all those found involved in sale and purchase of infected blood and teams had been constituted to check unregistered blood banks which had not so far been registered with the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority and also not fulfilled the prescribed criteria. EDO Health Dr. Khalid Randhawa investigated about the procedural details being followed as indicated to ensure supply of safe blood to patients.
Khawaja Imran Nazir along with the DCO also visited Ahmed Medical Complex, Rawalpindi, and expressed dissatisfaction over the casual attitude of hospital administration and not paying any attention towards following SOPs of the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority.
Later, he visited Measles Centre at Jhanda Chichi and inquired about vaccination from residents of the area.