Safety measures: Crackdown planned against unregistered blood banks

These blood banks provide sub-standard blood to the public, says health dept

KARACHI: The health department has decided to launch a crackdown against unregistered blood banks and those that provide sub-standard blood to the public.

It has warned such blood banks to shut down their business immediately. The general public has been advised to visit only registered blood banks.

Inaugurating the website of Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) at his office on Wednesday, health minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar said, "During the last four years, 170 illegal blood banks have been sealed, while in 2015, almost 24 unregistered blood banks were closed."



The minister said that 152 registered blood banks were functioning in the province. "Out of which, 41 were being managed by the government," he added.

Dahar said that his department has received nearly 35 applications from different organisations for registration of the blood banks.

He asked the general public to log on to www.sbta.gos.pk to get the list of safe blood banks. "The registered blood banks are safe for blood transfusion to avoid any complication," he said.

Dahar directed the health department's officials to take strict actions against those blood banks that violate prescribed rules and are playing with the lives of innocent people.

Dr Zahid Ansari, the secretary of SBTA, briefed the health minister about the performance of SBTA and the website.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2016.