The Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP), Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, in collaboration with German partners organized a Dissemination Seminar in Islamabad for the dissemination of National Blood Policy and Strategic Framework (2014-20). The seminar was chaired by Minister of Health, Mrs. Saira Afzal Tarar. It was well attended by senior officials from the Federal Ministry of National Health Services, senior representatives of German embassy, representatives of provincial health departments, country heads of WHO, GIZ, and KfW, and technical experts from public and private sector institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Saira Afzal Tarar appreciated the dedicated and committed team of the Safe Blood Transfusion Programme, both at the federal as well as provincial levels, for their hard work and zeal. She acknowledged the generous grant provided to the blood safety project by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany through its Technical and Financial Cooperation components funded by GiZ and KfW respectively. She also recognized the World Health Organization for providing technical support to the Programme. The government of Pakistan recognizes Health as a key for the development of our great nation, she added.
She was of the view that the regulation of the blood transfusion services is among the Ministry’s priority areas. The Ministry is addressing this challenging task with compassion, commitment and dedication. A practical model of effective and efficient regulation has been developed in Islamabad which is customized according to the national needs and requirements and can easily be emulated in the provinces. The Safe Blood Transfusion Programme can truly be termed a success story as despite some difficult challenges as a result of the 18th Amendment, the Programme implementation was not allowed to suffer and a solid foundation of a sustainable blood transfusion system has been laid in the country, she added.
She informed that the honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan recently granted special exemption on all kind of taxes and charges for this project and the continued commitment of the government to this vital public health project will again be reiterated soon with the signing of the second phase Agreement of the project with the German partners. The formulation of the National Blood Policy is the first exercise in the post devolution era where all provincial partners are on board and a unified policy has been drafted. The support from German technical and financial teams has been pivotal for this process.
Prof. Hasan A. Zaheer, National Coordinator SBTP, introduced the National Policy and Strategic Framework and the systematic consultative approach followed for the process. The Framework provides orientation for implementing blood safety system reforms to the national and provincial blood transfusion programmes. He appreciated the critical role played by the GIZ for facilitating the development. He also thanked all the stakeholders involved in the national consultations. He also presented the update of regulation in the Islamabad Capital Territory. He said under the kind patronage of Federal Health Minister, Mrs. Saira Afzal Tarar, the Islamabad region has become a model for blood safety regulation. The credit goes to her dynamic leadership and personal interest.
The representatives from the GIZ, Dr. Ruth Hilderbrandt and KfW, Dr. Masuma Zaidi also spoke on the occasion and reiterated the commitment of the German government for this immensely important public health project. They also announced the confirmation of technical and financial support to the second phase of the project.
