A licensed blood bank is much more than a place where blood is “kept.” It is a full service that collects, tests, processes, stores and supplies safe blood and blood components to hospitals and patients.

1. Collecting blood from donors

A licensed blood bank:

·       Organizes donation sessions at the centre, in hospitals, and at mobile camps (colleges, offices, communities).

·       Registers donors, checks eligibility (age, weight, health) and performs pre‑donation screening (questions, blood pressure, hemoglobin, etc.).

·       Collects blood using sterile, single‑use equipment in a controlled environment, following national standards and local laws.

Donors can be:

·       Voluntary, non‑paid donors (the safest and preferred source).

·       Sometimes “replacement” donors (family/friends giving blood to help a specific patient), but professional paid donors should not be used.

2. Testing and processing

After collection, the blood bank laboratory:

·       Tests every unit for blood group (ABO and Rh).

·       Screens for major transfusion‑transmitted infections, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis and (in many centres) malaria and other region‑specific infections.

·       Separates whole blood into components using centrifuges and sterile systems:

o   Red blood cells (for anemia and blood loss).

o   Platelets (for bleeding and low platelet counts).

o   Plasma (for clotting problems and some other conditions).

Any unit that tests positive or fails quality checks is discarded and never given to patients.

3. Safe storage and stock management

Licensed blood banks maintain:

·       Refrigerators for red cells at 2–6°C.

·       Special agitators for platelets at controlled room temperature.

·       Freezers for plasma and cryoprecipitate at very low temperatures.

They:

·       Monitor temperature 24/7 with alarms and logs.

·       Track expiry dates and rotate stock (“first in, first out”).

·       Keep sufficient stock of common blood groups and try to maintain some rare groups where possible.

4. Supplying hospitals and patients

When a hospital or ward requests blood:

·       The blood bank checks the patient’s blood group and tests.

·       Selects a compatible unit from stock.

·       Performs cross‑matching if needed to ensure there is no reaction between patient’s and donor’s blood.

·       Dispatches the component with proper labels and documentation to the ward or operating theatre, often 24/7 for emergencies.

In Pakistan, well‑run licensed blood banks (public, private and NGO‑run) are critical in supporting:

·       Trauma and emergency care.

·       Surgery and intensive care.

·       Obstetrics (pregnancy and childbirth).

·       Oncology and thalassemia services.