Chandigarh, Aug 20 (PTI) Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Thursday called upon voluntary blood donors and youth to come forward and take a pledge for organ donation.
Presiding over the state-level NGO conference organised by the Punjab State Blood Transfusion Council (PSBTC) here, the 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.
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, 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.
Singh said the state has built an exceptionally robust network.
The state currently has 201 licensed blood centres — 51 government, seven military, and 143 private/trust-run.
In the 2025-26 financial year, Punjab collected 5.44 lakh units of blood, while 1.84 lakh units were collected between April and July 2026 alone through 2,065 voluntary blood donation camps, achieving an impressive 96.04 per cent 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, said Singh.
Singh also 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 anemia among young women, Singh urged youth and prospective couples to adopt healthy dietary habits and active lifestyles, including daily exercise and natural food consumption, to eradicate anemia and prevent lifestyle diseases.
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 per cent of blood donors in Punjab are repeat donors, reflecting a strong culture of regular blood donation. PTI CHS NB NB
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