PESHAWAR, June 15: Blood banks in public and private sector are not following the guidelines on safe blood transfusion due to shortage of qualified staff, equipment, kits and proper space, said a report.

Prepared by the Safe Blood Transfusion Authority, the 8-page report says that the majority of the blood banks in the province lack sanitation, screening kits, blood pressure sets, thermometers, weight machines.

The report has recommended training of staff, provision of equipment, kits and putting in place a policy aiming to ensure implementation of the standard protocols for blood safety and quality control.

Headed by Prof Dr Fazal Raziq, a hematologist, a team visited blood banks of the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, KDA and Liaquat Memorial Hospitals in Kohat, DHQ and Zanana Hospitals in Bannu, Teaching Hospital and Zanana Hospitals in D.I. Khan and found that most of them lacked diagnostic kits.

The report said that for preparing monitoring and evaluation report regarding the implementation of the Safe Blood Transfusion Act 1999, most of blood banks lacked kits for HCV, HBS and HIV.

It says the blood bank of the DHQ Hospital and the Liaquat Memorial Hospital in Kohat do not have sanitation, biosafety measures, and a system for disposal of biohazardous waste, infected blood and record of disposal.

In DHQ hospital, the blood bank was housed in a tiny room and a domestic refrigerator was being used instead of a blood bank refrigerator, said the report, adding that the Women and Children Hospital of Bannu was found in same condition.

The report says that in the D.I. Khan blood to mostly patients is provided by 10 privately-run blood banks which is not screened, adding that the staff at these blood banks is not qualified.

The report has recommended to the health department to ensure regular supply of diagnostic kits and related supplies to the public sector hospitals, adding that a frequent and constant monitoring of blood banks be carried out to ensure that these are operating in line with rules.

The report has also recommended to the government to allocate separate budget to all blood banks in the province.