Director of the National Blood Centre Dr. Mallika Bindusara and an assistant Dr. M. I. L. A. Nazeer have been moved out of the Centre as a disciplinary measure on findings by the Health Ministry Investigation Unit report on the use of expired plasmapherasis kits. The report was submitted to Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Athula Kahadaliyanage

Dr. Ms. Bindusara has been transferred to the Family Health Bureau and Dr. Nazeer to the Angoda General hospital with immediate effect by Dr. Kahadaliyanage.

Healthcare Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Island that he had instructed the Ministry Investigations Unit to furnish the relevant information on the use of plasmapherasis kits by the National Blood Centre to the Auditor General’s Department and to the Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption.

He said that the Investigation Unit commenced the probe, into the use of expired blood containers on the instruction of Health Secretary on July 31 and had submitted their findings upto August 20 in an interim report.

As the reports included some administrative failures in the use of expired blood containers, the Health Ministry Secretary had taken disciplinary action against the NBC Director and another doctor.

Minister de Silva cautioned that in addition to the two transfers two store-keepers attached to the Centre had also been interdicted as they were suspected to have issued the expired plasmapherasis kits.

He said that the Auditor-General’s Department and the Bribery Commission had been conducting investigations into the case and additional information would be provided to them by the Ministry’s Investigation Unit.

The Health Ministry in co-ordination with Auditor-General’s department and the Bribery Commission will hold an impartial inquiry into alleged case and would take appropriate action against the responsible persons.