Towards better healthcare: Germany announces €10 million for safe blood transfusion programme
Ambassador says blood safety system reforms needed implementation over the years
Ambassador says blood safety system reforms needed implementation over the years. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
German Ambassador Ina Lepel said that despite the progress made by Pakistan, the country still had a fragmented blood safety system, as a high number of transfusions are being carried out in unsafe environments.
The envoy, speaking on Thursday at a national workshop organised here to share the achievements of the “Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP)”, also announced a grant of €10 million (Rs1.14 billion). The amount would be released from next year to keep the programme running.
She also mentioned that so far, €15 million (Rs1.71 billion) had been spent on the project since 2008.
Lepel said that there was a need to implement blood safety system reforms over the years, adding “we are only halfway there, and success has not yet reached a stage of sustainability”.
The SBTP is an initiative of the GIZ, a German international development organisation in collaboration with German Embassy in Islamabad.
The objective of the meeting was to share the status of achievement and changes made from 2008 to 2015 in blood transfusion mechanisms all over the country.
Representatives from national and international organisations involved in the programme jointly stressed on the fact that the initiative was still vulnerable to many challenges, and should be made irreversible through joint cooperative mechanisms.
Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) SBTP National Coordinator Dr Hassan Zaheer said that the programme’s planning and implementation strategy was based on a top-down approach.
He said in the past the country’s entire blood transfusion system was based on emergency basis, which was prone to hazardous mechanisms.
“Planning for establishing SBTP was initially conducted by national AIDS Control Programme and eventually 60 SBT banks in hospitals were established all over the country with increased sensitisation and creation of an enabling environment,” Zaheer added.
The NHSRC Minister of State, Saira Afzal Tarar said that despite serious constitutional and administrative challenges, some landmark achievements such as successful adaptation of participatory approach, development of operational documents and strengthening of regulatory bodies were made.
She announced that a meeting would be called by the ministry in January for all provincial authorities to develop a joint monitoring system on SBTP.
The SBTP Team Leader, Paul Kohorst said that the concept of quality assurance was introduced under the programme, and finally the authorities in each province were able to create a regulatory system of blood banks.
He said that a national quality manual, as well as a training curriculum was developed, meanwhile data sources and data collection instruments were also defined.
SBTP Technical Adviser Dr Ruth Hildebrandt said that a model system had been developed based on best practices and quality standards adopted by Germany.
She said that the realisation of the need to ensure safe blood transfusion on behalf of the general public was an important step forward.
Development and Communications Network Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said that the SBT standards had been established but political will was required otherwise investment would be of little use.
“SBT practices should be mainstreamed, only then the system can be strengthened in the long run,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2015.
German Ambassador Ina Lepel said that despite the progress made by Pakistan, the country still had a fragmented blood safety system, as a high number of transfusions are being carried out in unsafe environments.
The envoy, speaking on Thursday at a national workshop organised here to share the achievements of the “Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP)”, also announced a grant of €10 million (Rs1.14 billion). The amount would be released from next year to keep the programme running.
She also mentioned that so far, €15 million (Rs1.71 billion) had been spent on the project since 2008.
Lepel said that there was a need to implement blood safety system reforms over the years, adding “we are only halfway there, and success has not yet reached a stage of sustainability”.
The SBTP is an initiative of the GIZ, a German international development organisation in collaboration with German Embassy in Islamabad.
The objective of the meeting was to share the status of achievement and changes made from 2008 to 2015 in blood transfusion mechanisms all over the country.
Representatives from national and international organisations involved in the programme jointly stressed on the fact that the initiative was still vulnerable to many challenges, and should be made irreversible through joint cooperative mechanisms.
Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) SBTP National Coordinator Dr Hassan Zaheer said that the programme’s planning and implementation strategy was based on a top-down approach.
He said in the past the country’s entire blood transfusion system was based on emergency basis, which was prone to hazardous mechanisms.
“Planning for establishing SBTP was initially conducted by national AIDS Control Programme and eventually 60 SBT banks in hospitals were established all over the country with increased sensitisation and creation of an enabling environment,” Zaheer added.
The NHSRC Minister of State, Saira Afzal Tarar said that despite serious constitutional and administrative challenges, some landmark achievements such as successful adaptation of participatory approach, development of operational documents and strengthening of regulatory bodies were made.
She announced that a meeting would be called by the ministry in January for all provincial authorities to develop a joint monitoring system on SBTP.
The SBTP Team Leader, Paul Kohorst said that the concept of quality assurance was introduced under the programme, and finally the authorities in each province were able to create a regulatory system of blood banks.
He said that a national quality manual, as well as a training curriculum was developed, meanwhile data sources and data collection instruments were also defined.
SBTP Technical Adviser Dr Ruth Hildebrandt said that a model system had been developed based on best practices and quality standards adopted by Germany.
She said that the realisation of the need to ensure safe blood transfusion on behalf of the general public was an important step forward.
Development and Communications Network Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said that the SBT standards had been established but political will was required otherwise investment would be of little use.
“SBT practices should be mainstreamed, only then the system can be strengthened in the long run,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2015.