LAHORE:Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid has announced complete reinvigoration of the Blood Transfusion Authority (BTA) and Institute of Blood Transfusion Services (IBTS).
She was chairing a meeting at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department here on Friday.
She announced that the administrative control of the blood banks would be handed over to designated authorities in the respective Teaching Hospitals.
Addressing the meeting, the minister said that the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority and Institute of Blood Transfusion Services would be reconstructed on modern lines and the purpose of new reforms was to ensure improved services for patients.
She said that the development of a transparent system of blood transfusion would be ensured. The minister said that all blood banks were functional at 27 DHQs and 134 THQs in the province. In the next three months, all blood banks would be handed over to the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, she said. She announced a committee, comprising officials of the P&SH Department and SH&ME Department, vice chancellors and Principals, was being constituted for the process. She informed that legislation was being made against illegal blood banks. She said that the BTA was registering more and more public and private blood banks while every blood bank was given license for one year. The blood screening would be shifted from ICT to Clia method.
Dr Yasmin said that steps would be taken to develop district blood transfusion committees. She said the Punjab BTA must be provided all resources and vehicles.
She said the blood banks would be linked with bio safety labs of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department as strong coordination between P&SHD and SH&ME Department was key to improved performance of blood banks. The purpose of all these measures was to ensure safe transfusion of blood.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Amir Jan, Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Sarah Aslam, Additional Secretary Development SH&ME Dr. Asif Tufail, Additional Secretary Technical Dr. Salman Shahid, Secretary Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority Dr. Shahnaz Akhtar, Professor Javed Chaudhry and officials of the Institute of Blood Transfusion Services attended the meeting.