Nepal and Zanzibar
Blood bank
The project is a collaboration between the Blood bank services at Haukeland University Hospital (HUH), Kanti Children’s Hospital (KCH) in Nepal, Nepal Red Cross Society Central Blood Transfusion Service (NRCSCBTS), and Zanzibar National Blood Transfusion Services (ZNBTS).
HUH has been collaborating with ZNBTS since 2008. During the startup of a new project in 2014 between HUH and NRCSCBTS, several strengths and weaknesses was revealed in the national services that were different from ZNBTS. The current project started in 2014 and was aiming to strengthen the blood transfusion services at KCH with funds from a private donation.
In 2016 a triangular collaboration between Norway, Zanzibar and Nepal was established, with an exchange of personnel between all three. This would create a unique opportunity for ZNBTS and NRCSCBTS to learn from each other a setting where many of the operational challenges are the same. With the link to a modern transfusion service at HUH, and the hospital setting at KCH, this is assumed to model future capacity strengthening projects in transfusion medicine.
Zanzibar National Blood Transfusion Services (ZNBTS) has a highly developed and well-functioning quality management system, and works hard to increase total volume of blood units collected, to be able to meet current blood demands in Zanzibar. ZNBTS provides safe blood components to hospitals in Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba) and have collection sites for both walk in and mobile donations on both Islands.
Kanti Children’s Hospital (KCH) is offering advanced treatment to patients within a broad specter of diseases. Blood transfusion services at KCH have previously been depending on patients’ relatives playing an active role for organizing and/or collecting the blood components needed from other establishments, such as NRCSCBTS. A newly signed delivery agreement with NRCSCBTS will contribute towards an increased availability of blood products in the future.
Nepal Red Cross Society, Central Blood Transfusion Service (NRCSCBTS) is managing blood program as one of its humanitarian service from 1966 and together with Nepal government since 1991. There are total 100 blood centers in 67 districts (out of total 75 districts in the country). NRCSCBTS is responsible for monitoring, coordinating, training, report collection from all blood centers and blood supply to hospitals and medical institutes.