Lack of appropriate manpower is one of the major constraints in the development and strengthening of blood transfusion services in Pakistan. Appropriate trainings require planning of training programmes and refresher courses for the staff working in the blood banks. To fulfill this gap, the World Health Organization and Safe Blood Transfusion Programme recently organized a 3-day training workshop on National Testing Strategy and Algorithms for Screening of Blood for Transfusion Transmitted Infections (TTI) at the Ayub Medical College (AMC), Abbottabad from November 7-9, 2013. The objective of the workshop was to provide the blood bank staff a better understanding of the basic blood bank processes and also explain to them the new strategy and algorithm for screening of TTI.
The workshop participants included laboratory technicians and technologists from public and private sector blood banks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu Kashmir. The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Usman Waheed, Advisor SBTP, Mr. Asim Ansari, In charge Blood Bank KIH, Dr. Arshad Malik, Assistant Professor Biotechnology IIU, Dr. Noaman Siddiqui, Head of Medical Education, AMC and Dr. Muhammad Idrees, Consultant Haematologist Ayub Medical College. The workshop started with the opening remarks by Dr. Muhammad Idrees. He said that all these trainees are performing the vein-to-vein procedures but they should be taught to achieve personal as well as patient safety. The whole chain processes have undergone various phases of development yet needs further improvement especially in developing countries. There are SOPs, standards and guidelines available but the implementation part remains a desire to be fulfilled. He requested the participants to implement the techniques and principles they learn in the training to their places of work and achieve quality. Knowledge is such a wealth that increases when it is spent and vice versa. The workshop was conducted in an interactive manner and consisted of presentations, discussions, group activities and practical sessions. The topics discussed included V2V Transfusion Chain, Existing and Re-existing TTIs, Screening Assays for TTI, Screening for HCV, HIV, HBV, syphilis and malaria, Biosafety and Bioethics, Quality Assurance in Laboratory Testing, Staff Education and CME, National Strategy for TTI Screening, Blood Quarantine and Release and Routine and Emergency Screening.
Dr. Noaman Siddiqui in his closing remarks thanked the SBT Programme team for their precious time to update the technical knowledge of the participants with regards to Transfusion Transmitted Infections and screening strategies. He said that the workshop has resulted in the knowledge enhancement of the participants including himself. He proposed to conduct these capacity building programmes on regular basis. Closing session was chaired by Principal Ayub Medical College, Prof. Shahid Sultan who appreciated the efforts of SBTP in conducting the workshop at AMC premises and ensured his full supported for future initiatives. Certificates and shields were distributed among participants and speakers.