Illegal blood bank cannot be allowed to operate: Dr Yasmin Rashid

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that no illegal or unregistered blood bank can be allowed to operate and added new measures are being introduced to ensure the safe blood transfusion in Punjab.

According to a handout, she was speaking at the inauguration of new office of the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority (PBTA) here Friday. She appreciated the PBTA team especially Dr Shahnaz Naseem. The minister said that the staff of public and private blood banks shall be provided training and added a complaint cell had been set up at the PBTA as well.

Dr Yasmin Rashid further said that the administration of teaching hospitals shall be responsible for blood banks in their respective premises. “We are trying to promote private sector through support of Punjab Health Foundation. We want private sector to come forward and set up latest modern blood banks. All blood banks are being monitored and unregistered blood banks shall be closed down,” she added. The minister further said that the PBTA had done inspection of 1,097 blood banks and efforts are being made to register all blood banks in the next six months. Later, responding to queries of journalists, the minister said that corruption shall not be tolerated at any level and inquiries and investigations have been initiated on all allegations.

Dr Yasmin Rashid further said corona vaccination campaign was being run very successfully in Punjab. She said even the opposition had appreciated the efforts to control the pandemic. She expressed appreciation for the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department for vaccinating 500,000 people in one day. She said investigations into local purchase was underway and Secretary SH&ME Department Amir Jan was personally supervising them. She said public money shall be spent on public alone and government hospitals were given billions for medicine purchase.

To another question, she said Punjab has currently 70% cases of Delta variant as it had fast transmission and more infectivity. She urged people to take preventive measures, including use of masks. She said daily on average 17,000 tests were performed and for one COVID-19 positive person, 15 persons were tested.

Secretary PBTA Dr Shahnaz Naseem said that blood transfusion monitoring process had been put on right track on directions from health minister and the PBTA shall ensure safe blood transfusion in Punjab.