— Dr Balbir Singh Announces Implementation of Advanced Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) & Chemiluminescence Immunoassays to Ensure Zero-Transmission Risk in Blood Transfusions
— Health Minister Advocates City-Based Blood Donor Directories to Prevent Wastage & Streamline Emergency Blood Supply
— 69 Voluntary Blood Donation Organisations Felicitated at State-Level NGO Conference in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH, August 20:
Urging the society to take the noble spirit of voluntary donation beyond blood, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Thursday called upon voluntary blood donors and the youth to come forward and take a pledge for organ donation, emphasising that donating organs after brain death can grant a fresh lease of life to multiple critically ill patients.
Presiding over the State-Level NGO Conference organised by the Punjab State Blood Transfusion Council (PSBTC) at Municipal Bhawan here, the Health Minister lauded voluntary organisations and social workers as “angels of hope and messengers of God” who serve as a vital lifeline between patients battling for survival and the healthcare system.
During the conference, Dr Balbir Singh also felicitated 69 such voluntary blood donation NGOs securing top positions across districts for their exemplary contribution in strengthening blood transfusion services across Punjab.
Highlighting major advancements in blood safety protocols, Dr Balbir Singh announced that Punjab is strengthening its blood safety system through the adoption of advanced testing technologies, including Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) and Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (CLIA). These technologies enhance the early detection of transfusion-transmitted infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C by reducing the diagnostic window period and thereby significantly minimising the residual risk of transmission. He further informed that standardised guidelines for blood collection, testing, uniform blood bag labelling and cross-matching have been issued to ensure consistent quality, traceability and safety across blood centres in the state.
To avoid distress to regular donors and streamline emergency response, the Minister stressed the urgent need to maintain comprehensive, city-wise digital directories of voluntary blood donors. “Instead of calling excessive donors to camps, maintaining a dedicated city-based directory allows blood centres to immediately mobilise specific blood groups through instant alerts during critical emergencies without any wastage,” he stated.
Expressing pride over Punjab’s top ranking in voluntary repeat blood donations, Dr Balbir Singh said the state has built an exceptionally robust network. The state currently has 201 licensed blood centres (51 government, 7 military, and 143 private/trust-run). In the 2025–26 financial year, Punjab collected 5,44,167 units of blood, while 1,84,194 units were collected between April and July 2026 alone through 2,065 voluntary blood donation camps, achieving an impressive 96.04% voluntary donation rate. In addition, modern apheresis facilities are functioning at 17 blood centres across 13 districts, with plans underway to expand to all remaining districts.
Extending the donation mission to organs, Dr Balbir Singh shared that the recently established Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (PILBS) has successfully conducted three liver transplants within a span of 15 days in the government sector at one-third the market cost, and is set to initiate kidney transplants in the coming months. He appealed to families and citizens to proactively pledge their organs so that in tragic instances of brain death, critical organs like kidneys, liver, and corneas can save precious lives.
Expressing concern over anaemia among young women, Dr Balbir Singh urged youth and prospective couples to adopt healthy dietary habits and active lifestyles, including daily exercise and natural food consumption, to eradicate anaemia and prevent lifestyle diseases. He mentioned that the Health Department, in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and the Food and Drugs Administration, has issued specialised dietary advisories for women and sports persons.
Earlier, Dr RR Sharma, Professor and Head, Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, said that although Punjab officially ranks third in India in voluntary blood donation, it ranks first in terms of repeat voluntary blood donors. Nearly 80% of blood donors in Punjab are repeat donors, reflecting a strong culture of regular blood donation. He said these dedicated donors play a vital role in ensuring a steady blood supply and have greatly helped patients, specifically those receiving treatment at PGIMER, Chandigarh as well as in Punjab.
Prominent health experts including Dr Suchet Sachdev (Additional Professor, PGIMER Chandigarh), Dr Paramjit Kaur (Professor, GMCH-32), Dr Sangeeta Kumari (Associate Professor, PGIMER), and Dr Aikaj Jindal (Senior Consultant, MDOH Ludhiana) shared insights on blood safety and donor mobilization.
Meanwhile, Special Secretary Health cum Project Director PSACS Sakshi Sawhney, Principal GMCH-32 Dr Ravneet Kaur, Additional Project Director PSACS Dr Vishal Garg, and Joint Director Blood Transfusion Services Dr Sunita Devi were among the senior officials present on the occasion.
