KARACHI, Sept 10: Sindh Secretary Health Prof Noshad Shaikh has said that formation of task force is on cards, which will undertake stringent action against illegally operating blood banks throughout the province.

He was addressing at the concluding session of the five-day training programme on ‘Safe Blood Transfusion Techniques’ at the National Institute of Public Administration here on Saturday.

The secretary commended organizers of the training programme, adding that private and public partnership was crucial for the betterment of society. He said that Sindh had taken lead in getting the bill approved to ensure safe blood transfusion in the province.

The programme, organized by Husaini Blood Bank in collaboration with the National Aids Control Programme as a project of ‘The Global Fund’, was attended by pathologists, haematologists, medical trainers, transfusion experts and lab technicians from blood transfusion authorities of each province and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The director of Institute of Blood Transfusion Services, Punjab, Prof Yasmeen Lodhi, was guest of the honour. Dr Sarfaraz H. Jafri and Altaf Nazim of Husaini Blood Bank; Dr Wajiha Ghias of the Global Fund against Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority’s secretary Dr Farhan Memon also spoke on the occasion.

Later, the health secretary distributed certificates among the participants. —PPI