KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikandar Ali Mandhro and Kfw Development Bank Wolfgang Moellers inaugurated a modern blood centre in Sukkur on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the health minister expressed their gratitude to the German government and KfW for the gift of four the Regional Blood Centres (RBC) for the people of Sindh.
He pledged a support for the smooth functioning of the new centres and the implementation of the Blood Programme in the province.
The minister promised to operationalise the remaining 3 RBCs of Nawabshah, Jamshoro and Karachi as soon as possible. To achieve the quality standard and ensure supply safe blood, he said the management of the Sukkur RBC is out-sourced to Sukkur Blood and Drug Donating Society and Jamshoro to the Indus Hospital under the private-public partnership.
He appreciated the German delegation’s arrival to Sukkur for the ceremony.
The KfW’s country director congratulated the minister, health secretary for their keen interest in the implementation of the project in the province as well as organising the inauguration ceremony of the RBC Sukkur.
He termed the Safe Blood Transfusion Project a “success story” and appreciated the untiring efforts of the federal and provincial governments in making the project a success.
He said that the German government, through KfW, has contributed 25 million Euros (Rs 3.3 billion) to support the blood safety reforms initiated by all the provinces/federating units of Pakistan. Out of 3.3 billion, Sindh received about Rs.687 million. He also urged the Sindh government to immediately operationalise the RBCs of Nawabshah, Jamshoro and Karachi.
Stefanie Peters, senior project manager KfW for Asia, Dr Nachtnebel Mathias, Dr Masuma Zaidi, KFW Pakistan health sector’s coordinator and others were present on the occasion.
Health Secretary Fazlullah Pechuho thanked the German government and KfW for supporting the safe blood project in Sindh and assured full operationalisation of all the four regional centres and promotion of voluntary donations.
He said, without German Government’s generous support, we couldn’t have the modern RBCs in Sukkur, Nawabshah, Jamshoro and Karachi, besides modern equipment in 24 hospital blood banks of Sindh.
The Sukkur Blood Centre is among the 10 RBCs developed with the grant from Germany – which is at least Rs 2 billion (15 million Euro) — through KfW as part of the establishment of a nationwide network of 10 modern blood centers and up-gradation of 59 existing hospital-based blood banks all over the country in the first phase of the Safe Blood Transfusion Project (SBTP).
The second phase will be expanded with continued the German support of Rs 1.3 billion (10 million Euro).
