Minister orders strict action against illegal blood banks

LAHORE: Provincial Minister of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique directed to take immediate and strict action against the illegal blood banks across the province.

He issued this direction while talking to German Development Bank delegation during a meeting at the office of DG Health Services on Thursday. The measures to supply safe blood in government hospitals across Punjab were discussed in the meeting. Secretary Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority Dr M Imran Bashir, Prof Dr Shabnam Bashir, Dr Zahid, Jawad Mansoor from Green Star and other officers were present on this occasion. German Development Bank representative Dr Masooma Zaidi and Prof Dr Shabnam Bashir gave a briefing to provincial health minister in this regard.

Kh Salman Rafique said that providing safe blood for treatment in government hospitals of Punjab is the first right of patients. Other issues, including HR in government blood bank centres in Punjab will be solved on priority basis. He said that German Development Bank is successfully running all health and nutrition initiatives in Punjab.

Dr Masooma said that we want to work with the Punjab government with a new spirit. We will meet again in next two weeks for follow-up on improvement of blood bank centres. Meanwhile, the minister attended the closing ceremony of the 164th sports gala of KEMU on Thursday. Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Ejaz Hussain, Registrar Prof Syed Asghar Ali Naqi, Prof Waris Farqa, Prof Yar Muhammad, Prof M Sharif, Prof Farhana Sajjad, Prof Kiran Khurshid, Prof Nadia Khurshid, Prof Syed Raza Ali Shah, Prof Iqbal Mirza, Prof Mustahsan Basheer, Prof Uzmi Hussain, Prof Meh rul Nisa and a large number of other faculty members were present.