LARKANA: The commissioner of Larkana division sealed two blood banks on Thursday and ordered their owners to immediately stop blood exchange process till renewal of their licences.

The commissioner took the action during a surprise visit to the blood banks working in Larkana city. Health officials accompanied him.

Commissioner Dr Saeed Ahmed had taken the action after receiving complaints about illegal operation of blood banks, sources in the district health office said.

During the visit, the commissioner, Larkana SDM Dr Masood Bhutto and District Health Officer Dr Khalilullah Shaikh found that two units of Bukhari Blood Bank established in Shaikh Zayed Hospital for Women and Chandka Medical College Teaching Hospital were running the blood exchange system despite expiry of their licences.

They were registered with the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) but for months their licences were not renewed, said a health official on the condition of anonymity.

They were well-equipped but their fault was offering services without valid authority that was why they were ordered to stop all operations and get renewed their licences within a week, a health official privy to the raid said.

Murtaza Blood Bank established on the VIP road was also running blood the exchange system without valid licence, said the DHO. Its owner was asked to discontinue blood exchange process till renewal of its licence from the SBTA.

Two other facilities — Rehan Blood Bank and Universal Blood Bank — established near the Pediatrics Surgery Unit of Chandka Medical College and near Chandka Bridge of Rice Canal respectively were found running the services without any registration with the SBTA. They were sealed on the spot.

Talking to Dawn, the commissioner said these blood banks were not only operating illegally, but were also involved in what he called ‘business’. They had no facility of ‘blood screening’ for hepatitis, Aids and other diseases. They were doing trade and not offering services, he said.

The owner of Rehan Blood Bank de-sealed the location in the presence of the team, but it was again sealed and its owner was picked up and whisked away to police station, the commissioner said. However, sources said, two persons namely Muhammed Nawaz Magsi and Rabnawaz Lashari were arrested for further investigations.

In reply to a question , the commissioner said blood banks had adopted a practice of making two or three pints of blood from one pint of blood having minimum quantity of hemoglobin in the pint.

They had been committing a crime, he said, adding that they had to mix normal saline solution in the original blood.

Sources in the health department said licences of three blood banks which were warned to stop the blood exchange process had been expired on July and November 2014.

The commissioner has warned them and other blood banks working in Larkana division to register with the SBTA or face the action.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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