DERA ISMAIL KHAN, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 30th Jul, 2026) The Regional Blood Centre (RBC) Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe and free blood services, while urging the public, particularly young people, to donate blood voluntarily to help save lives.
While talking to APP, Dr Rajput further said every donated unit of blood undergoes comprehensive screening for transfusion-transmissible infections, including malaria, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, through modern diagnostic equipment before being supplied to patients. He added that although the screening costs exceed Rs15,000 per donation, all services are provided free of charge to the public.
He said the Regional Blood Centre was a modern government facility established with the support of the German government and staffed by trained professionals committed to ensuring the availability of safe and quality blood.
Appealing for greater public participation, Dr Rajput said healthy individuals between 18 and 55 years of age could donate blood every three to four months, adding that blood could not be manufactured and voluntary donations remained the only reliable source for meeting patients’ needs.
He announced that after educational institutions reopen in September, teams from the Regional Blood Centre would visit public and private universities and colleges to launch awareness campaigns on voluntary blood donation and safe blood transfusion practices.
Clarifying a common public misconception, Dr Rajput said blood was provided entirely free of cost and no payment was charged from recipients. However, in routine cases where an immediate replacement donor was unavailable, the centre temporarily retained the patient’s original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) for 24 to 48 hours as a guarantee or required a replacement blood donation later.
The CNIC was returned immediately after the replacement donor donated blood.
He said this requirement did not apply to victims of accidents, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, other emergencies or patients suffering from thalassaemia, who were provided blood without a replacement donor or CNIC guarantee.
Expressing concern over misuse of the system, Dr Rajput said some individuals obtained blood on emergency grounds but later failed to arrange replacement donors or collect their original CNICs, creating operational difficulties for the centre.
He also highlighted an acute shortage of human resources at the facility were urgently required to keep the main gate adjacent to the Women and Children Hospital open round the clock for the convenience of patients and attendants.
Dr Rajput said contact details of technologists and staff responsible for morning, evening and night shifts would be shared with the media within the next 24 hours and uploaded to the Regional Blood Centre’s official Facebook page to facilitate the public in lodging complaints or seeking assistance.
He reiterated that blood was supplied completely free of charge and advised the public not to pay any employee or intermediary. He urged citizens to report any demand for illegal payments to the centre’s administration for prompt action.
He also appealed to treasury and opposition lawmakers, former public representatives and political leaders from the district to raise the issue of the centre’s requirements, including a solar power system, additional staff and other essential resources, before the provincial government to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services for the public.
