Sindh Health Department has launched drive against unregistered blood banks operating illegally, and sealed 15 such 'blood banks' in different cities in the province. Several others have been warned, and told to get registered immediately with Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA).
Sindh Health Minister Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani informed newsmen about the drive at a press briefing at his office here on Saturday.
He said that a team of Sindh Health Department, headed by himself and accompanied by Secretary Health Professor Noshad A Shaikh, EDO Health Karachi Dr Khalid Shaikh, Secretary SBTA Dr Farhana Memon, Dr Kamran Awan and Member Task Force Committee Akhtar Shaheen Rind, paid surprised visits to five blood banks in Karachi.
They visited Diagnostic Lab and Blood Bank operating at Al-Sehat Centre, Shahrah-e-Faisal and found deficiencies in laid down criteria to run a blood bank. The blood bank was being operated under cover of laboratory. The blood bank was sealed on the spot.The team then visited Dr Khan Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre, Malir, where five 'expired' blood bags were found and were taken away by SBTA officials with them. The blood bank had never applied for registration. This 'blood bank' was also sealed.
Then the team visited 'blood bank' of Patel Hospital in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and found dozens of blood bags, including many of 'expired', in the fridge. The hospital administration also had not applied for registration and 'blood bank' was being operated in a laboratory. Keeping in view patients' grievances, officials took about 10 samples and sealed only the fridge.
Surprise visit was paid at Ibn-e-Seena Hospital Complex near Nipa Chowrangi at University Road. However, blood bank was found operative in the hospital.
Later, the minister paid visit to Samdani Hospital in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, where hospital officials had already vacated the premises of blood bank. However, the raiding team succeeded to find around 10 blood bags. Officials also sealed this blood bank and took samples with them.
Qaimkhani told newsmen that at the same time surprise visits were also paid by teams headed by Additional Secretaries Health, Admin and Development at other districts including Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Khairpur and Sanghar.
Blood bank of Red Crescent General Hospital in Sukkur, Indus Blood Bank and Mehran Blood Bank Jhole in Sanghar, Al-Murtaza Blood Bank, Sukkur Blood Bank, Sachal Bogio Blood Bank and Ali Blood Bank in Larkana, Waleed Laboratory, Hamid Laboratory and Seena Jee Laboratory in Hyderabad and National Laboratory in Nawabshah were sealed. However, three blood banks including National Laboratory located in Mehran Medical Centre, National Laboratory located in City Medical Centre Compound and Shahbaz Blood Bank in Larkana were warned to get registered with SBTA.
The minister said that 187 blood banks had applied for registration from all over Sindh. Of them only 39 met the registration criteria and were registered.
Cases will be registered against owners of all sealed blood banks and they would have to face legal punishment, which may be Rs 0.3 million fine or three-year imprisonment or both, he said.
He said that it was the first step against illegal blood banks and this action would continue.