Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly has passed Punjab Blood Transfusion Safety Act, 2016 with a view to ensure provision of safe blood to all the patients, and to prevent citizens against diseases that can be transmitted through blood transfusion and blood
components.

As per details, public and private blood banks would be regulated and uniform standards for safe blood transfusion would be implemented. An offence under the act shall be non-bailable and the government would enhance penalties and fines for punishment to curb the menace of unsafe blood transfusion.

Well-informed sources privy to this development told Daily Times that the objective of amending the Blood Transfusion Act was to regulate the blood transfusion services in the province so that safe blood, free from hepatitis B and C, AIDS, malaria and syphilis, etc. could be made available for the needy patients.

Sources said that a blood establishment should not receive or supply blood unless it is registered with the authority and holds a valid license issued by the authority.

The authority may issue a provisional licence to a blood establishment in cases where non-compliance is not critical, subject to the condition that the blood establishment shall rectify the non-compliance documented by the authority within the specified time.

The government may, by notification, establish the authority to be known as Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority (PBTA), comprising 12 members. Interestingly, Advisor to Chief Minster on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique would not be the chairperson of PBTA while government shall nominate one of the members of the authority as the chairperson.

According to law, there shall be a licensing board to review all inspection reports and decide on the issuance of licences to blood establishments, blood centres, hospital blood banks, and specialised blood transfusion services. The licensing board has been given the mandate to evaluate all inspection reports, and to refer serious offences to seal blood banks and award other penalties.

The government shall appoint blood safety inspectors in each district. An inspector shall carry out inspection of blood establishments and perform other functions assigned to him by the authority. The inspector shall implement the decisions of the licensing board, with the assistance of the local police, if required.

The offence under the act shall be of two kinds, including critical offence, which means an offence involving a serious adverse event or serious adverse reaction, and significant offence, which means an offence falling under prescribed categories. The offences shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to seven years and with fine, which may extend to Rs one million.

Whoever, either by himself or through another person, wilfully contravenes the provisions of the act, shall be liable to fine, which may extend to Rs 50,000 but shall not be less than
Rs 10,000.

If an offence under this act shall be committed by a company, the person who at the time of the commission of the offence was in charge of the company, shall be liable to punishment, while the company shall also be liable to the punishment of fine specified for the offence.

In case it is proved that the offence is attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be liable to punishment for
the offence.