About Regional Blood Center
Access to a secure blood supply based on voluntary unpaid donation is vital for all patients, including many requiring life-long and regular transfusions for conditions such as sickle-cell anemia and thalassemia. In some countries of our Region, more than half of the blood donations are used for thalassemia patients. Voluntary unpaid plasma donations also play an important part in supporting patients with a wide range of long-term conditions, such as hemophilia and immune deficiencies. Regional Blood Centre DUHS is the product of the dedication and passion of Dow University Hospital and its management, in delivering quality blood for patient care. The RBC DUHS aims to deliver safe blood to the masses maintaining a cold chain throughout its transport.
The blood bank of Dow University of Health Sciences was established in 2003 and serving as a hospital blood bank with facilities for blood collection, basic serology including blood grouping and compatibility testing only, and blood screening for transfusion-transmitted infections through CLIA and NAT. Blood was issued on a 100% replacement basis. With the help of the government of Sindh, in the year 2022, this blood bank was upgraded as Regional Blood Centre DUHS in phase II of the National Safe Blood Transfusion Program, funded by the German Development Bank. There will be four associated hospital blood banks which will be managed by RBC DUHS for safe blood supply.
Scope of Services
- HBsAg
- Anti HCV
- Syphilis antibodies
- HIV (duo) 1, 2 and p24
Malarial parasite is detected with rapid Immunochromatographic technique (ICT) on blood donor samples.
RBC DUHS is Pakistan’s first Regional Blood Centre to provide NAT-tested blood to the masses.
Nucleic Acid Testing is performed on every single donor. Viral markers with their discriminatory tests, are performed on Cobas 5800 NAT testing machine by ROCHE. , FOR Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) – Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) – Hepatitis B virus (HBV), THUS MAKING THE BLOOD PRODUCTS SAFEST FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
- Red Blood Cells
- Fresh Frozen Plasma, thawed
- FP24
- Platelets
- Cryoprecipitate
- Cryosupernatant
- Pediatric aliquots
- Washed packed cells
- Neonatal exchange units
- Irradiated blood components
Following testing services are available for inpatients as well as for outpatients at RBC DUHS
- Blood Group
- Cross Match
- Red Cell Screening
- Red Cell Antibody Identification –
- ABO discrepancy workup
- Blood transfusion reaction workup
- DAT (Poly Specific) – DAT (Mono Specific)
- Adsorption elution techniques – Antibody titer
- Rh Titers
- Red Cell Phenotyping for Kidd (Jka)
- Red Cell Phenotyping for Kidd (Jkb)
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for S
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for s
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for C
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for c
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for e
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for E
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for Kell (K)
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for Fy a
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for Fy b
- Red Cell Antigen Phenotyping for Kpa
(Physician Prescription with medical history and fresh labs are mandatory requirements)
- Therapeutic phlebotomy
- Platelets Apheresis
- Plasma Apheresis
- Stem cell collection
Facilities
To provide full spectrum, high-end, complex serology testing, RBC DUHS has established a reference laboratory with skill sets, and reagents available to perform problem-solving of difficult cases where different centers in and outside Karachi (HBB’s and Thalassemia centers) that are unable to provide compatible units. They can request their desired testing through the Online Test Ordering System. All the required testing is performed and the results are pushed electronically in due time.
The entire blood banking process is driven by in-house developed workflow software, employing ISBT 128 barcode systems, and built around the AABB regulations, thereby ensuring 100% traceability. The software identifies, prevents, and notifies errors in the process through user notifications, incidence reporting, and admin reports. This Blood Bank Information System is fully integrated with the hospital’s Management Information System. The requests from the medical staff are generated in HMIS which is transmitted in BBMIS in real time and shown on the screens in the blood center. All the testing is performed at serology benches and results are immediately transmitted in HMIS and visualized on the floors.
For blood donors, both options are available as they can receive their reports via email in soft copy or by hand as hard copy from DUHS Blood Centre.
Capacity building is an ongoing process at Indus Blood Center. All staff undergo intensive structured training in the training center according to the laid down SOPs upon hiring and are authorized to work on live donor and patient material after passing the theory examinations (pass percentage 80%) and practical competencies.
The Blood Center has a technical laboratory with full audio and visual facilities to train 08 to 10 blood bankers at a time. The lab has all the basic equipment to train the blood bankers in real-time, with a blood bank management information system deployed on training servers.
Contact Us
Regional Blood Center