The Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare has introduced two new national guidelines on blood banking, blood transfusion services and blood donor selection to improve healthcare standards and strengthen patient safety.
The guidelines were launched at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Health by State Minister Khadeeja Abdul Samad Abdulla.
The newly introduced documents are the National Standard for Blood Banks and Blood Transfusion Services and the National Guideline on Blood Donor Assessment and Selection Procedures.
Speaking at the ceremony, State Minister Khadeeja said the guidelines would help raise the standards of healthcare services in the Maldives.
She described their introduction as an important step towards improving the quality of healthcare, ensuring patient safety and strengthening public confidence in the country's healthcare system.
“The introduction of these guidelines is an important step towards strengthening blood transfusion services in the Maldives. It is a significant part of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare quality, ensure patient safety and strengthen public confidence in the healthcare system,” the State Minister said.
The National Standard for Blood Banks and Blood Transfusion Services establish a national framework to ensure consistent standards of quality and safety across all blood banks and facilities providing blood transfusion services in the Maldives.
Meanwhile, the National Guideline on Blood Donor Assessment and Selection Procedure sets out procedures for assessing the health of blood donors and ensuring the highest possible level of safety for patients receiving blood transfusions.
The National Blood Council acknowledged the technical working committees that contributed to developing the documents. It also expressed appreciation for the technical assistance provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Society of Blood Transfusion, the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service and Thailand's National Blood Centre.