Quality Management Training Held in Lahore

The third 3-day Workshop on “Quality Management Training for Blood Transfusion Services” was held in Lahore on June 6-8, 2011. The opening session was inaugurated by Dr. Hasan Abbas Zaheer, NPM, NBTP and also attended by Dr. Mahfooz-ur-Rehman, Director IBTS, Punjab and Mr. Quaid Saeed, NPO, WHO. The participants included Blood Bank Managers, Medical Technologists and Senior Laboratory Technicians of Blood Banks in Punjab including representatives from Lahore of Institute of Blood Transfusion Services, Jinnah Hospital, Services Hospital, PIC Hospital, SGR Hospital, M.N. Hospital Yakki Gate, Said Mitha Hospital, Fatmid Foundation, Sundus Foundation and Surriya Azeem Hospital. Outstation participants included representatives from DHQ Hospital Jhelum, DHQ Hospital Sialkot, DHQ Hospital Sheikhupura, Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Civil Hospital Faisalabad, DHQ Hospital Okara, DHQ Hospital Sahiwal, Nishter Hospital Multan, DHQ Hospital Sargodha, DHQ Hospital Gujranwala, BVH Hospital Bahawalpur, Sundus Foundation Gujrat, Sundus Foundation Gujranwala, Bilal Hospital Rawalpindi and M.B.S Hospital, Rawalpindi.

The QMT workshops are being conducted in all the provincial and federal capitals from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) grant received through the WHO. The National Blood Transfusion Programme is conducting and managing the workshops. Earlier, similar workshops have been conducted successfully in Islamabad and Karachi. The participants of these workshops have given excellent feedback on the quality of the training which utilizes the WHO teaching module on quality management in blood banking.

NPM, NBTP Meeting with Punjab Special Secretary Health

Dr. H.A Zaheer, National Programme Manager, NBTP held a meeting with Mr. Waseem Mukhtar, Special Secretary, Department of Health, Punjab on June 7, 2011. Also present in the meeting were Mr. Farasat Iqbal, Program Director, PHSRP, Mr. M. Suleria, Additional Secretary, Dept. of Health, Punjab, Punjab and Prof. Mahfooz-ur-Rehman, Director, IBTS, Punjab. The NPM briefed the Special Secretary Health about the Safe Blood Transfusion Project and specifically about the Punjab component in this project. The Secretary was informed that the total budget of the Punjab

PC-1 is Rs. 2516.72 (Local Rs. 1017.95 and FEC Rs. 1498.77), the infrastructure will be developed through the FEC and the recurring cost will be borne through the Local component.

Issues regarding the implementation of the project in Punjab were discussed in detail and the Secretary informed that Prof. Mahfooz-ur-Rehman, Director, IBTS Punjab will soon be notified as the first Provincial Programme Manager, Punjab Blood Transfusion Programme. It was also agreed that the Punjab PC-1 would be operationalized including Hiring of staff, Release of funds, Issuance of land demarcation letter for Bahawalpur RBTC in Victoria Hospital premises, Activation of the Punjab Steering Committee on Blood Safety, Release of funds for the Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority, and the Enactment of the new blood safety legislation. It was also agreed that the Provincial Programme will soon organize a ‘Ground Breaking’ ceremony of Multan and Bahawalpur Regional Blood Transfusion Centers.

IFRC Regional Coordinator meeting with NPM, NBTP Center

Dr. Laura Pacifici, Regional Coordinator, International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), held a meeting with the NPM, NBTP at the NBTP office on June16, 2011. Also present on the occasion was Dr. Jamal Shah, Health Coordinator, IFRC Islamabad office and Dr. Asma Cheema, Director, PRCS. The NPM briefed the Regional Coordinator on the project history and introduced the new Programme and the collaboration between the Programme and PRCS since the inception of the project many years ago. He also briefed the Regional Coordinator about the programmatic gaps and challenges. The Regional Coordinator appreciated the efforts of the Health Ministry and the NBTP in promoting the cause of blood safety in Pakistan and committed full support to NBTP through the PRCS. It was agreed that the NBTP would submit a Concept Paper outlining the support desired from IFRC covering the areas of voluntary blood donation promotion, national BT mapping, project management and research and development. Earlier, on June 8, 2011, a preparatory meeting was held in the IFRC office between the NPM, NBTP, Health Coordinator, IFRC, and Director PRCS Blood Center and Director Health & Training, PRCS. The Health Coordinator, IFRC informed that Blood Safety was included in the IFRC mandate and IFRC was committed to support the NBTP.

Workshop held on Blood Transfusion System Reforms

National Blood Transfusion Programme in collaboration with German Technical Cooperation (GIZ) conducted a 1-day interactive learning workshop on “Blood Transfusion System Reforms” on June 8, 2011 at Islamabad. The objectives of the Workshop were to sensitize key stakeholders on Blood Transfusion System Reforms and the new Blood Transfusion Legislation; to prepare an operational plan of implementation with all the key stakeholders under the framework of National Blood Policy 2008-2012 and PC-1s and to share the current Blood Transfusion System Gaps in Pakistan. The National Workshop was attended by key stakeholders and policy makers from provincial health departments, law divisions, and Blood Transfusion programmes. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Philippe Conte, a GFA Technical Expert.

Training Workshop held on

‘Optimal Blood Bank Processes to Enhance Blood Safety’

The National Blood Transfusion Programme, with technical support from GIZ, organized a 2-day Training Workshop on ‘Optimal Blood Bank Processes to Enhance Blood Safety’ on 15-16 June, 2011, in Islamabad. The workshop was attended by Laboratory Technicians and Technologists from fifteen blood banks of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The Workshop was facilitated by Mr. Hans Molijn, an experienced Immuno-haematologist from Netherlands, Dr. Rafi Ahmed, Technical Expert, GFA/GIZ, Mr. Usman Waheed, Technical Advisor, GFA/GIZ, Dr. Lubna Naseem, Incharge BTS, PIMS and Dr. Noreen Saeed, Consultant Haematologist, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi.

The workshop was organized to review and exchange experiences of the current practices in the blood banks and identify the constraints and challenges and update the knowledge base of the participants about the common important procedures

employed in the blood bank laboratories. The objective of the workshop was to develop an action plan through which newly enhanced knowledge would lead to standardized laboratory practices. In order to assess the competence of the workshop participants, a pre-training questionnaire about the workshop topics was used which provided an overview of the level of competency of the trainees. At the conclusion of the training the same questionnaire was used to evaluate the impact of the training. The workshop concluded with certificate distribution among the participants. Closing remarks were by Dr. Hasan Abbas Zaheer, National Programme Manager, National Blood Transfusion Programme and the vote of thanks was from Mr. Paul Kohorst, GFA Team Leader.

Visit to Institute of Blood transfusion Services (IBTS), Lahore

Mr. Bilal Ahmed Tareen, Technical Expert, NBTP and Dr. Quaid Saeed, Programme Officer, WHO visited the IBTS, Lahore on June 5, 2011 and met Prof. Dr. Mahfooz ur Rehman, Director IBTS. Prof. Mahfooz briefed the visitors about the aims and objectives of IBTS

and showed them the various sections of the Institution. The visiting experts appreciated the working of IBTS and the services that it was rendering to the people of Punjab under the dynamic leader ship of Prof. Dr. Mahfooz ur Rehman.

Consultation organized to discuss Service Delivery under the Blood Transfusion System Reforms

A meeting was organized on June 16, 2011, to discuss the system reforms and the implementation of an action plan for standardized blood bank processes. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2-day training workshop on fundamental blood bank processes with Medical Technologists.

Participants of the meeting included heads of the blood banks from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The meeting was organized to provide an overview of the blood transfusion system reforms and its implications for service delivery. Mr. Lundy Keo from GIZ gave the opening remarks and thanked the participants for their presence and ensuring the availability of their technical staff to attend the training. He emphasized that that the BTS restructure in the ICT is not only challenging but also critical in showcasing a system reform agenda for the rest of Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Haroon Khan, Kulsum International Hospital, discussed the possibility of Public Private Partnership which can be a solution towards the sustainability of safe blood transfusion project. Team Leader, GFA, Mr. Paul Kohorst gave an overview of the system reforms in the BTS system in Pakistan. Mr. Hans Molijn, GFA Technical Expert, spoke about the local situation analysis as experienced by him during his short visit which enabled him to assess the current situation and especially to get a valid picture of the actual competencies of staff and the available facilities and techniques in use. Mission of GFA International Expert

Dr. Philippe Conte Mission of GFA International Expert

Mr. Hans Molijn

Dr. Philippe Conte, a GFA-SANQUIN transfusion medicine expert in blood transfusion services management and organization, conducted an assignment from May 23 through June 10, 2011, to provide (1) expert advocacy to policy and decision makers on the reform of blood transfusion services in the country to expedite the approval of a new blood transfusion law for safe, adequate and sustainable supply of blood and blood components and (2) to enhance the skills of blood transfusion authority (BTA) managers on programme management to develop regulatory leadership. During his assignment, Dr. Conte observed and analyzed the current status of new blood transfusion law in the provinces and state (AJK) and identified the barriers and possible solutions. The expert prepared the draft of revised standard documents on the Prototype BTA and assisted NBTP to conduct 2 workshops in Islamabad on 8 and 9 June, 2011.

A GFA International Expert, Mr. Hans Molijn conducted an assignment in Pakistan from May 28 - June 18, 2011 to support the development of training modules and training workshops on TTI Testing Strategies. The objectives of his mission were to conduct TNA in a sample of 78 HBBs, develop training modules, conduct pilot training workshop on TTI screening and to revise the national standards and guidelines. In coordination with NBTP and the GFA Technical Cooperation Team, the expert visited various blood banks in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to assess current practices in the blood bank laboratories. These visits served as a basic tool to analyze the gaps in the competency level of staff, the availability of quality systems, and the technical infrastructure. At the end of his visit, the GFA expert conducted a 2-day workshop on Optimal Blood Bank Processes to Enhance Blood Safety, organized by NBTP.