Karachi, The Indus Hospital Blood Center (TIHBC) in Korangi, Karachi, has reached a significant milestone by successfully passing the on-site AABB accreditation audit, becoming the first and only site in Pakistan and SAARC countries to meet American standards in blood banking. This achievement sets a new benchmark for blood safety in Pakistan, where hepatitis infection rates range from 7 to 10% in the population.
According to Indus Hospital, the accomplishment was announced at a media briefing on November 30, 2023. Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, President of the Indus Hospital Health Network (IHHN), expressed that achieving accreditation by AABB is globally challenging, and for a developing country like Pakistan, it is especially commendable. The journey to this accreditation included thorough audits conducted by inspectors from the USA, with TIHBC successfully meeting the standards without any observations or non-conformances on the first attempt. Dr. Khan highlighted the efforts of the TIHBC team, who achieved this without hiring international consultants, demonstrating local capacity building.
Dr. Saba Jamal, Senior Director of Indus Hospital Blood Center, addressed the economic challenges faced by Pakistan, arguing that the nation should prioritize humanitarian initiatives like high-standard healthcare over material luxuries. She emphasized that IHHN’s free-of-cost care ensures that even the poorest patients have access to certified safe blood at American standards.
The AABB accreditation is seen as a benchmark for other institutes in Pakistan, encouraging the adoption of safe blood transfusion practices. The IHHN plans to develop a comprehensive hemophilia care center and a thalassemia prevention center, aiming to set examples for other centers in Pakistan on providing quality care with limited resources.
The event also featured Syed Mashhood Rizvi, Executive Director of Communication & Resource Development Directorate, IHHN; Dr. Shabneez Hussain, Head of Blood Transfusion Services, IHHN; and other senior IHHN members.
The Indus Hospital Blood Center was established in 2013 and has been a pioneer in centralized blood banking in Pakistan, promoting voluntary blood donations, and providing access to safe blood and transfusion services to all. In 2022, voluntary blood donations constituted 89% of total collections at the center. The AABB accreditation follows the ISO 15189 accreditation of TIHBC in February 2022 and subsequent accreditations of Regional Blood Center Jamshoro and other Hospital Blood Banks managed by IHHN.
Looking ahead, TIHBC aims to make all blood donations 100% voluntary and continue advancing in blood transfusion services, striving to alleviate patients’ concerns about procuring safe blood. This journey towards AABB accreditation exemplifies the transformative impact of a dedicated team committed to humanitarian healthcare.