Himalayan News Service

Lalitpur, July 6:

A two-week long inter-country training on quality management in Blood Transfusion Services for India, Myanmar and Nepal began here today. The programme is being organised by the Central Blood Transfusion Service with support from WHO-Regional Office for South Asia.

Some 21 people from the three countries including five temporary advisers are participating the programme. Director general of Department of Health Service Dr BD Chataut said the government will give its support to national blood programmes. "A task force has been constituted for policy revision, quality assurance and management in blood transfusion services."

Chief of the Blood Transfusion Services, Dr Manita Rajkarnikar said the programme aims to impart training on quality management of blood transfusion to key trainers, who will likely be designated quality managers in their counters. The objectives are to ascertain status of quality management, upgrade skills in planning, management and implementation of quality systems by imparting training in theoretical and practical aspects of quality management in every aspect of blood transfusion services. WHO has identified blood safety as one of the seven priority areas. A Quality Management Project (QMP) for Blood Transfusion services was initiated in 2001 in all the regions of WHO.