Background
Established under the Punjab Transfusion of Safe Blood Ordinance, 1999, the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority remained dormant till 2013 due to financial, logistic and human resource constraints. The Authority started functioning in 2013 and took to the task of developing guidelines, tools, forms and formats for its functions immediately after assuming office. After the implementation of Punjab Blood transfusion Safety Ordinance 2016 the Authority was re notified. Thereafter, the Authority announced through print media, the requirement for all blood establishments to register with the Authority within a certain time frame, failure of which made establishments liable to legal proceedings. As a response, the Authority started receiving applications and was able to start the process of registration of blood establishments. The Authority is now performing all regulatory functions actively.
Registration
Henceforth, the Authority had received 330 applications for registrations, however after re scruitinizing the applications it was found that most of the applications were incomplete and were not fulfilling basic requirements. Letters were issued to all such blood banks. Only 230 valid applications were found. The licensing inspections have been carried out in all registered blood establishments. As the area has been neglected for long, major deficiencies have been found in many blood establishments. Observation letters giving suggestions have been issued and response has been received from many. Reminder letters have been issued to those having no response. Licenses have been awarded to 140 blood establishments, whereas around 20 establishments have been permanently closed for critical non-compliances identified by the BTA. wqarning letters have been issued to 15 blood establishments. The rest of the establishments have been given observations with a time frame for rectifying deficiencies.
Organization
The Punjab BTA has been able to organize itself into a separate units in-charge of governance of the sector [BTA members comprising a broad stakeholder group including Punjab Minister for Health/ MPA, Secretary BTA, MPAs , Additional Secretary Health, Director General Health, Executive Directors of Hospitals, Director of IBTS, Project Director Punjab AIDS Control Program, Professors of Medicine and Surgery, Commandant CMH, and Civil Society Representatives (Fatimid, PRCS)], licensing (licensing board), and technical members (technical committee).
Trainings
In collaboration with IBTS Punjab PBTA has starte a training program for basic blood banking (Duration One Month) for all public and private blood bank technical staff. The traoining is being provided in batches. Up to September 2018 about 200 personnel have been provided training. A training workshop for Blood Transfusion officers of the province was organized in March 2017 in collaboration with GIZ at Holiday Inn Lahore.