PESHAWAR, Dec 15: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is establishing three regional blood banks to ensure timely provision of blood to the needy and critically ill patients.

“The province desperately needs blood banks in view of the incidents of terrorism.

In case of bomb blasts, road accidents etc the injured could be promptly provided blood from these banks,” said provincial health minister Zahir Ali Shah.

Inaugurating the regional blood bank at Hayatabad Medical Complex on Thursday, Mr Shah said that similar blood banks were being set up in Dera Ismail Khan and Kohat. He said that these banks would also provide blood to patients in hospitals in the adjacent districts.

He said that the German government had provided Rs150 million for 13 blood banks in Pakistan of which three were being set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A section will also be created in these banks that will encourage people to donate blood, he said.

He said that the patients would receive screened blood that would also lessen the chances of spread of infectious ailments.

“We need to spread awareness among people of the health benefits of blood donations for both the donors and recipients,” he said, adding that there were misconceptions that donating blood caused weakness and diseases and it was the responsibility of the health professionals to educate people on such issues.

The minister said that the government was according priority to improving the health facilities in rural areas.

He said that development of health facilities in remote areas would also reduce burden on the tertiary care hospitals, as presently patients preferred to come to Peshawar because of non-availability of facilities in their home districts.

Special secretary health Prof Noorul Iman and chief executive of the Hayatabad Medical Complex Dr Aftab Akbar also spoke on the occasion.

They highlighted the significance of blood donation and said that healthy people should give blood every three months.