LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid said on Monday that blood screening process was being further improved besides enhancing capacity building of the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority (PBTA).

She was presiding over a meeting at Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department here.

She said that no illegal blood banks would be allowed to work in the province, adding that non-licensed blood banks would be considered as illegal.

She said that blood banks were functional in all public hospitals of the province.

She said that performance of blood banks was being improved by giving funds to the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority.

Yasmin Rashid said that vacant posts in the PBTA should be filled immediately.

She said that standard of blood banks would be brought up to international standards, adding that cleanliness should be ensured in blood banks at all costs.

She said blood transfusion system would be centralised as per Punjab Blood Transfusion Safety Act 2016.

As many as 41 blood banks in Punjab had already been closed for not implementing the standard operating procedures (SOPs).