KARACHI, Nov 7: The Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority on Monday once again asked blood banks, functioning illegally in the province, to get registered with the authority immediately.

Registration forms are being issued from SBTA office, adjacent to Service Hospital, M.A. Jinnah Road.

The authority also offers its professional and technical guidance to blood banks, which face some deficiencies to meet registration criteria and seek additional knowledge.

SBTA Secretary Dr Zahid Hasan Ansari, a senior pathologist and haematologist, asked registered blood banks to prominently display their registration certificates issued by his office for convenience of general public.

Dr Zahid Ansari was committed that the authority would function according to its objectives strictly and implement uniform policy for safe blood transfusion as per current development.

Bio-safety measures would be ensured as per the WHO’s criterion checking whether blood banks were adhered strictly to these measures. It would be ensured that blood banks were managed by qualified persons having postgraduate qualification in blood transfusion and haematology or clinical pathologist approved by PMDC, he said.

Working of registered blood banks would be monitored and periodic inspection would be done by Secretary SBTA himself, he added.

Secretary SBTA informed that total 207 applications were received for registration up to Nov.07, 2005 from all over Sindh, of which some 38 were registered, 25 in Karachi alone, 114 were issued final notice for closure, while remaining applications were in process.

He urged public to buy blood only from registered blood banks and asked about their registration certificate, when getting blood from them.

Registered blood banks in Karachi are Hussaini Blood Bank, Pakistan Blood Bank, Patient Welfare Association, Blood Bank JPMC (Jinnah Hospital), Fatimid Foundation Blood Bank, Burjor Anklesaria Blood Bank, OMI Blood Bank, Agha Khan Hospital Blood Bank, Bismillah Taqui Blood Bank, Baqai Blood Bank, Ziauddin Blood Bank in Nazimabad, Keamari, Clifton, NICH Blood Bank, Liaquat National Hospital Blood Bank, SESSI Blood Bank, Al-Mustafa Blood Bank, Sindh Govt. Qatar Hospital Blood Bank, Burhani Blood Bank & Transfusion Centre, Chiniot Blood Bank, National Medical Centre Blood Bank, Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation, NICVD Blood Bank, Sindh Govt Liaquatabad Blood Bank, Muhammadi Blood Bank, Sharea Faisal.

Ali Lab and Blood Bank in Mehrabpur, Noushero Feroz; Civil Hospital Blood Bank, Sukkur; Sukkur Blood Bank; Murtaza Blood Bank, Larkana; Taluka Hospital Blood Bank in Gambat, Khairpur; Al-Ghazi Blood Bank, Mirpurkhas; Shahbaz Blood Bank, Badin; Sindh Blood Bank, Badin; Taluka Hospital Blood Bank, Shahdadpur; and Haji Roshandin Blood Bank in Tando Adam are other registered outlets in Sindh. —PPI