PESHAWAR, July 5: Privately-established blood banks have been the main cause of spread of such deadly diseases as Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, because they do not have the infrastructure required for operating blood banks, doctors say.

According to haematologists, 25 per cent blood transfusion takes place in private facilities.

About 280 cases had been detected from 1989 to 2002 in the NWFP through screening of blood at the state-run hospitals. Of these, 39 turned out to be full-blown HIV/AIDS patients, who have already died.

There is no data available with the private blood banks at the city, more so because they do not have the kits and personnel to investigate the donors before collecting blood from them.

Doctors say that the cause of the spread of HIV/AIDS was extra-marital relations, use of ‘unsterile’ syringes and unsafe blood transfusion practices. The number of HIV/AIDS may be higher and could be detected, provided all the privately-run blood banks adopt screening practices.

According to doctors, about 80,000 blood bags are being transfused at the three teaching hospitals of the province on an annual basis. But on most occasions, the hospitals lack funds to purchase kits required for screening of blood.

Lately, the federal government has allocated Rs4.5 million to provide equipment and staff to the blood banks. About 15 DHQ hospitals have got tools to test the donors for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. But non-availability of haematologists hinder their work.

Besides, these blood banks are closed after 2pm and the patients needing transfusion invariably have to turn to private facilities.

Doctors say that one apparently healthy donor in 1,000 happens to be the carrier of HIV/AIDS virus, 1.5 per cent of Hepatitis B and 4.5 per cent of Hepatitis C. For Hepatitis C, no funds are available at the official hospitals to purchase its kits.

The World Bank, which had previously conditioned its loan to the provincial health department with the screening of all blood for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, has agreed to release loan this year, which according to the doctors would enable the blood banks to carry out screening for Hepatitis C also.

The city hospitals had started screening of blood for HIV/AIDS in 1989, and Hepatitis B in 1994, whereas for C type Hepatitis, there was no developed mechanism throughout the world at the time. Therefore, Hepatitis C was not included in the PC-1, but these hospitals purchased the Hepatitis C kits from the local market, which are now available.

The federal government has included kits for Hepatitis C in the current year’s PC-1 and next year, the health department would receive funds for it also.

However, the problems still exist at the private blood banks, as there is no facility to investigate the donors for the communicable diseases.