The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to establish a corporate body with the name of KP Blood Transfusion Authority to regulate all aspects of blood transfusion and ensure that process related to collection, testing of human blood and blood components and their preparation, storage, distribution, issuance and administration are undertaken only by blood banks or regional blood centers.
The authority will be established under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blood Transfusion Safety Authority Act 2016 that had already been passed by the provincial assembly last month.
The authority will comprise of 10 members including th Secretary Health who will be the chairman of the authority, Director General (DG) Health, Chief Executive, Healthcare Commission, Medical Director Khyber Teaching Hospital, Medical Director Lady Reading Hospital, Medical Director Hayatabad Medical Complex, Commandant Combined Military Hospital, legal expert, senior hematologist and a representative of civil society.
The authority will hold at least 4 meetings annually, which will be presided over by the chairman and in case of his absence, a member agreed upon by other members of the authority will be acting chairman.
The decision of the meeting will be taken by majority of the members present and in case of tie the chairman will have a casting vote. Quorum of the meetings will be one third of the membership of the authority.
The powers and functions of the authority will be to prescribe minimum standards and specifications for registration and licensing of the Blood Banks or Regional Blood Centre; register and issue licenses to Blood Banks or Regional Blood Centre in private sector on payment of such fee and in manner as may be prescribed; renew licenses issued to the Blood Bank or Regional Blood Centre in private sector annually on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, subject to the condition that the instructions issued by it for safe blood transfusion were being followed by such Blood Bank or Regional Blood Centre.