A meeting was held recently in Islamabad to discuss the system reforms and the implementation of an action plan for standardized blood bank processes.
Participants of the meeting included Dr. Masuma Zaidi from KfW – German Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Zahid Mahmood from EPOS Health Consultants, Lundy Keo from GIZ – German Agency for International Development, Paul Kohorst from GFA/GIZ, Hans Molijn from GFA-SANQUIN, Dr. Haroon Khan from Kulsum International Hospital, Dr. Aftab Ahmed Khan from Maroof International Hospital, Asim Ansari from Kulsum International Hospital, Dr. Noreen Saeed from Holy Family Hospital, Dr. Lubna Naseem from PIMS, Nasrullah Khan from Medicsi Blood Bank, Taj Muhammad from Fauji Foundation Hospital.
The meeting was organized to provide an overview of the blood transfusion system reforms and its implications for service delivery. In his opening remarks, Lundy Keo from GIZ emphasized that the BTS reform and restricting process 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 from KIH discussed the possibility of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) as a possible pathway towards the sustainability of safe blood transfusion project. Paul Kohorst gave an overview of the system reforms in the BTS system in Pakistan followed by a presentation by Hans Molijn on the ground realities has found during his visits to blood banks. The visits were planned to assess the present performance conditions of hospital blood banks and especially to get a valid picture of the actual competencies of staff.