Action against substandard blood banks: adviser

LAHORE
ADVISER TO CM on Health Kh. Salman Rafiq presided over a meeting of the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority at the committee room of Institute of Blood Transfusion Service on Wednesday.
EDO Health Lahore Dr. Zulfiqar, Director BTA Dr. Jaffar Saleem, representatives of Punjab AIDS Control Programme, Sundas Foundation, Red Crescent Society Punjab, Mid City Hospital, Services Hospital, INMOL Hospital, Fatmid Foundation, officers of PITB and other institutions attended the meeting.
According to a handout issued on Wednesday, the meeting was told that the BTA had deputed 150 blood inspectors in the province and district officer health had been nominated as focal person for the BTA in every district.
Dr. Jaffar Saleem told the media that action and inspection had been started against the substandard blood banks in the province and a number of blood banks had been sealed so far. He further told the media that new draft law of the Blood Safety Act had been sent to the Health Department.
Kh. Salman Rafiq said the Health Department had sent new draft law to the Law Department and the Punjab government would submit a new draft law of the Blood Safety Act for approval in the next session of Punjab Assembly. He said that increase in sentences and amount of fines had been proposed in the new draft law.
Kh. Salman Rafiq added that the BTA had proposed setting up of blood courts on the pattern of drug courts so that legal action should not be delayed against the substandard and fake blood banks. He said the government would consider this proposal seriously and give it a practical shape after the consultation with the legal experts.
Dr. Jaffar Saleem said the formal training had been imparted to 150 blood inspectors. He informed the media that 250 applications had been received so far and licences had been issued to 30 blood banks. He further said applicants were directed to remove the existing flaws in the system of blood banks and licence was issued only to those blood banks which fulfilled requirements.
Kh. Salman Rafiq handed over licences of blood banks to representatives of the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Sundas Foundation.