10 months on, Malout blood bank yet to be operational

Health team yet to inspect building

• The PWD (B&R) department had handed over the building to the Civil Hospital authorities in June last year
• The Health Department team which has to inspect the building and give permission to run it has not made a single visit so far
• Presently, the building is being used as a blood storage unit
• A blood bank provides facilities like donation, instant blood transfusion. But, in the blood storage unit, the blood can only be stored

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, March 30

The blood bank building at the Civil Hospital in Malout was completed 10 months back, but it is yet to become functional. The Health Department team which has to inspect the building and give permission to run it has not made a single visit so far.

Notably, the PWD (B&R) department had handed over the building to the hospital authorities in June last year, where the hospital authorities had earlier shifted homeopathic department and TB department.

Presently, the building is being used as a blood storage unit, as per the Civil Hospital staff. The blood storage unit and blood bank serve different purposes. The blood bank provides facilities like donation, instant blood transfusion. But, in the blood storage unit, the blood can only be stored.

A doctor posted at the Civil Hospital said earlier, the hospital lacked a pathologist to run the blood bank, which was proving to be a major hurdle. “Though the post was filled twice, no one joined here. Now, a doctor has been posted and we are hopeful of making make the blood bank functional within a short time. Once the blood bank is opened, it will prove beneficial to a large number of people, especially the road mishap victims,” said the doctor.

Dr Ram Lal, Civil Surgeon, Muktsar, said, “The inspection team from Delhi is expected to come next week. All the formalities have been completed now.”

Meanwhile, Dr Gurjant Singh Sekhon, a social activist, said, “This blood bank is a major requirement of the area. Those concerned must take up this issue seriously.” Presently, the hospital has a blood storage facility but the blood donation facility is not available here. The blood units are brought from the blood bank in the Civil Hospital of Muktsar.”

Some social organisations too approached local MLA Harpreet Singh in the past to make the blood bank operational soon.

Courtesy: The Tribune