The Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization will share technical knowhow in transfusion medicine with the Republic of Tajikistan, and a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two sides during the visit of Tajik Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection Nasim Olimov, to Tehran recently.
Ali Akbar Pourfathollah, head of IBTO, said Iran is ready to assist Tajikistan in improving technical and quality standards of blood transfusion services, IRNA reports.
Pourfathollah in a meeting with Olimov, said Iran with 41 years of experience has a high standing in the field of blood transfusion and “will be happy to share knowledge with Tajikistan.”
Olimov expressed interest in admission of Tajik students to hematology and blood banking programs in undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels at Iran’s High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine.
The Tajik delegation visited quality control, serology and umbilical cord blood sections, and the innovation and technology departments at the IBTO. Olimov lauded Iran’s professionalism in blood transfusion.
The delegation was presented a book ‘Atlas of Blood Transfusion’, which Olimov said would be published in the Tajik national language.
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Iran is recognized as a top contributor in transfusion medicine by the International Blood Transfusion Society (IBTS) based on its services and scientific contributions.
A study conducted by the IBTO deputy for Quality Control and Technical Affairs, shows that 71% of hospitals in 25 provinces have established hospital blood transfusion committees.
One of the most important and successful IBTO programs is training of specialists in the use of different cellular and plasma components instead of whole blood.
Given the importance of production of blood components from whole blood donations, training programs have been held to ensure higher use of packed red blood cells that are collected, processed and stored in bags as blood products in transfusion medicine.
This has helped in lowering the rate of whole blood use.
Additionally, with an increase in the number of universities of medical sciences, subspecialists, specialty and subspecialty wards for major surgeries, and transplantation and hematology centers, the production of cellular and plasma components in IBTO have become more specific.
Pourfathollah invited the Tajik Health Ministry to participate in the 3rd International Congress of Transfusion Medicine on ‘Evidence-Based Use of Blood Components and Plasma Derived Medicines’ slated for December 15-17 in Tehran.
