KARACHI - Amid an escalating domestic pressure on the government over the “restoration of Nato supplies via aerial route(s)”, Parliamentary Committee on National Security Chief Raza Rabbani asserted on Thursday that notices have been issued to the Defence and Foreign secretaries over the statement of a US ambassador.
Interacting with the media at the provincial election commission office after the approval of his nomination papers, the PPP central leader said the government had taken serious notice of the statement by the US ambassador over the resumption of Nato supplies. “The Parliamentary Committee on National Security is keeping an eye on the situation,” he added. Rabbani said that the 20th constitutional amendment would strengthen the election commission and that it had also prescribed a formula for the installation of a care-taker government.
14 new blood banks registered: In order to prevent illegal blood transfusion-led complications, Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) has registered 14 new blood banks in the province totting up the total number of such banks to 161. Exclusively talking to PPI, SBTA In-charge Dr Zahid Ansari said the decision was taken in a meeting presided over by Health Secretary Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi in the Sindh Secretariat on Wednesday evening.
Special Health Secretary Dr Suresh Kumar, Prof Anwar Akhund, Dr Sarfaraz Jaafri, Dr Afzal and other senior health department officials were also present.
Of the total 14 blood bands, Dr Zahid said, seven will be established in government district and taluka hospitals while remaining seven would operate under the supervision of non-governmental organizations.
Identifying the locations of new blood banks, he informed that four would be established in Jamshoro, three in Karachi, two in Ghotki, while one each in Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Sukkur, Thatta and Umerkot.
He said people could now obtain blood components from those newly registered blood banks in order to tackle various diseases.
“In the light of strict directions from Provincial Health Minister Dr. Sagheer Ahmed, some 127 blood banks operating illegally have been sealed in recent years while action against the rest ones is underway,” concluded Dr Zahid.