KARACHI, April 7: Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal approved on Monday the establishment of the country’s biggest blood bank, estimated to cost Rs460 million, in the City Government Dispensary at Guru Mandir, having a capacity for more than 1,000 blood bottles.

He also approved raising the bed strength of the Sarfraz Rafiqui Shaheed Hospital from the present 40 to 100 beds and provision of a medico-legal facility there.

The nazim, accompanied by his special adviser on health Masood Naqi and the EDO of health, visited the Sarfraz Rafiqui Shaheed Hospital and the City Government Dispensary and directed that the hospital be upgraded to 100 beds with the immediate provision of a medico-legal facility.

He said since the hospital was situated in the city’s centre, it was imperative to upgrade it as per modern requirements to provide cheap and quality medical facilities to people. He said the hospital should also be provided with the latest equipment.

Speaking at a meeting on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal pointed out that Karachi was a city of 18 million which needed a blood bank where at least 1,000 bottles remained available all the time so that immediate help could be provided in emergency.

The nazim directed the EDO of works and services to take steps for the immediate appointment of a designing consultant for the blood bank. He said services of experts from the city’s best blood banks be acquired for this blood bank.

The meeting also approved the immediate start of work on the blood bank, which might cost about Rs460 million.

Approval was also given for the provision of various facilities in this blood bank, including the establishment of sections of haematology and blood bank, clinical pathology, chemical pathology, bone-marrow transplant, histopathology, microbiology, thalassaemia centre, radiology and CT scan and MRI.

Mustafa Kamal said the city government paid attention to all sections during the last two years and changed the condition of the otherwise ruined hospitals with the provision of medical facilities comparable to the city’s best hospitals.—APP