SBTA seals blood bank in Karachi for selling expired blood bags

By
Khawar Khan
|

KARACHI: The Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) sealed a blood bank and confiscated as many as 20 expired and contaminated blood bags in a raid conducted on Tuesday.

The SBTA monitoring team raided the blood bank, situated in Lyari, after receiving an official complaint. The blood bank staffers initially resisted the departmental action but were later pressed down by the authorities.

SBTA Chairman Dr Zahid Ansari said that action against illegal blood banks is in full swing. 

The SBTA was established in 2017 after the unanimous passage of Sindh Safe Blood Transfusion Bill from the provincial assembly. The authority register, control and regulate the workings of blood banks and matters related to blood transfusions in the province.

Any person or blood bank found violating any provision of the law is subjected to a prison term lasting six months to five years and fine ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs1 million.