KPK decides to outsource its regional blood centres

PESHAWAR: The Health Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, decided to outsource regional blood centres in Peshawar, Abbottabad and Dera Ismail Khan to the private corporations.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation, a government-owned entity, welcomed bids for the initiative, implemented under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public-Private Partnership Act, 2020.

As per the officials of the Health Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the centres were envisioned to deliver blood to critically ill patients admitted to local hospitals free of charge and on a need-basis and raise public awareness about blood donation. However, blood centres' performance was below par, so the department had decided to outsource the administration of its regional blood centres.

The district health officers, who presently operate the centres, would hand up the responsibility of regional blood centres to the contract-winning organisations. According to officials, the proposal comprised the operation and maintenance of regional blood centrers, which would create blood and its products and serve as storage and distribution centres for hospitals in their respective districts.

According to officials, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation was mandated to outsource public health facilities to corporations with experience in operating health systems to mend performance and meet the healthcare demands of the population. The relevant district health officers, they said, would provide policy guidelines to the nominated organisations and ensure that resources could be provided on schedule.