(THE News, Pakistan) - By Amer Malik - THE Chief Minister's Complaint Cell, on a citizen's complaint, has directed the Health Department and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to take immediate action against the mafia involved in the misuse of blood donations at blood banks in public sector hospitals.
A citizen had submitted a complaint against the alleged illegal sale of blood donations at the blood banks of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the Jinnah Hospital with the alleged backing of the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority officials.
In the complaint, he said that the blood banks employees were involved in selling donated blood to the patients and their relatives at high prices, adding that blood bags of different groups were sold at different prices, i.e. A-positive, B-positive and AB-positive at Rs 400, O-positive at Rs 1,000, and A-negative, B-negative and O-negative at Rs 1,500 per bag.
It was alleged that an employee, with the support of the in-charge of the blood bank of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, had been involved in the illegal business at a large scale for the last five years.
When this fact was revealed to the chief chemical examiner, holding additional charge of the director Blood Transfusion Authority, he said many complaints had already been received against the said employee and he was transferred many times but he, with the support of MNAs and MPAs, succeeded in getting his transfer orders cancelled.
The said employee, working at the blood bank of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, has always got himself deputed in daytime shift, despite a schedule of three shifts, with the support of his in-charge to run the illegal business.
Asif Naeem said that the same situation was prevalent at the Jinnah Hospital where blood bank employees were receiving Rs 50 per blood group test without issuing any receipt to the donors. He said if anyone complained against the corruption, the blood bank employees replied that they were paying for utility bills, cell phone cards and entertainment of their superiors out of the
money collected.
It was alleged that a lady doctor at the Jinnah Hospital had been sheltering the blood bank staff involved in corruption like sale and purchase of blood and exploitation of guardians of the patients.
The complainant further alleged that all these mafias were operating with the connivance of an assistant director of the Blood Transfusion Authority, who had been occupying the post for the last 12 years.
"If somebody warns these corrupt that a complaint will be lodged against them, they claim that they give a lion's share of their income to all their superiors/bosses," he said. Asif requested Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to personally intervene in view of the situation at blood banks of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the Jinnah Hospital, where the mafia was busy in misusing the public blood and exploiting the patients and their families.
Responding to the complaint, Irfan Yousaf, the director Public Affairs of the Chief Minister's Complaint Cell, directed the Health Secretary and the director general of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to pay attention to this issue and take immediate legal/departmental action against the accused in the public interest. He also directed the said officials to submit report in this regard within a week.
