‘WHO’s help in safe blood transfusion to be welcomed by Punjab’

LAHORE: The Punjab government will welcome technical assistance and guidance of World Health Organisation (WHO) for ensuring safe blood transfusion to the patients, monitoring of public as well as private blood banks and improving working conditions.

Provincial Assembly has passed Safe Blood Transfusion Act-2016 and solid steps are being taken to strengthen and reactivate the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority (PBTA).These views were expressed by Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Kh Salman Rafique, while talking to the WHO delegation, which is presently visiting Pakistan for assessment of safe blood transfusion facilities, according to a handout issued here on Monday.

After visiting the other provinces, the delegation reached Lahore and called on the minister in the Institute of Blood Transfusion Services (IBTS) on Monday. The delegation headed by Prof Smit Sibinga Ceesth, the other members included Dr Abdella E Yetmegta, consultant German Institute KFW, Brig Javed Usman and WHO Regional Officer Dr Jamshed.

Talking to the delegation, Kh Salman Rafique said that Punjab is the first province where an effective and consolidated institution is working to provide quality blood transfusion services in an organised manner. He said that keeping in view the importance of healthy blood for prevention of blood diseases, PBTA has been established and steps are being taken to reactivate the authority for effective surveillance and monitoring of public as well as private blood banks in the province.

Kh Salman Rafique informed that legislation has been done through provincial assembly and Safe Blood Transfusion Act-2016 has been passed through which imprisonment and fine has been increased up to seven years of imprisonment and fine up to one million rupees on running a substandard blood bank.

Moreover, Chief Executive Officers of Health has been given powers for monitoring blood banks and taking action against the violators in their respective districts. The minister said that within few months, the system will be visibly changed.

Kh Salman Rafique informed the delegation that Regional Blood Centres of Multan and Bahawalpur had been completed and the blood banks of public sector hospitals of the districts had been attached with the RBCs. He informed that third RBC in Faisalabad was being established.