U.S trains Lao medical technicians on blood transfusion

(KPL) The U.S Embassy in Laos and the U.S Pacific Command (USPACOM), in collaboration with the Lao Red Cross’ National Blood Transfusion Centre, the Ministries of Health and National Defense held an Advanced Blood Transfusion Process Technical Workshop for military and civilian medical practitioners.

This technical training workshop is being held between August 30 and September 3, 2010, equipping the Lao trainees on technical procedures related to blood transfusion process to ensure the safe use of blood and blood products during medical procedures within the Lao PDR.

Sixty- five military and civilian attendees are from hospitals and Blood Centers in nine northern provinces.

The training workshop was opened on Monday, August 30, in Vientiane, by Dr. Keedeang Thammalangsy, Secretary General of the Lao Read Cross, Mr. Peter Haymond, United States Charge d’ Affaires to Laos and Commander Roland Fahie, Director of the USPACOM Joint Blood Programme.

Following the workshop, a team of U.S. military medical technicians from USPACOM, in coordination with the Lao Read Cross, will visit provincial blood centres and hostpitals in Khammouane and Borikhamsay provinces to provide additional training and site assistance to military and civilian medical practitioners in the field of blood safety.

The team will wrap up the visit with a meeting at the National Blood Transfusion Centre in Vientiane on 10 September, 2010, to plan for future cooperation programs.

These events are a continuation of previous blood safety workshops and site assistance visits in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay Provinces in June,
2010.

This is part of a longstanding successful cooperation programme between USPACOM, the National Blood Transfusion Center of the Lao Red Cross, the Lao Ministry of Heath, and the Lao Ministry of the National Defense’s Medical Department, in order to improve overall blood safety standards in Laos.

back