Singapore group helps train Solo blood bank staff

The Straits Times, April 3, 2007
By Yeo Ghim Lay



SOLO (INDONESIA) - MR RACHMAT Widjajadi, 30, is what you could call a serial blood donor.

The father of two, who works as a security guard in Solo, drops by Indonesia Red Cross Solo (PMI Solo) once every three months to donate blood. He has been doing so for the past 10 years in what he says is his way of helping other people.

The visit used to take him at least two hours, most of it spent in the waiting room. But yesterday, he was done within 30 minutes.

'Now, all I have to do is come here, fill up the form, take a blood test and donate blood. It is much faster than before,' he said.

The improved efficiency is among the results of PMI Solo's collaboration with the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) in the latter's Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team (Blood Transfusion) Project, which officially ends today.

Started in 2001, it has enabled Singapore medical professionals to help train the 55 staff at PMI Solo's blood transfusion centre to work towards achieving international standards in blood bank management.

Volunteers from the National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Health Sciences Authority and Singapore Polytechnic have held five training programmes for PMI Solo staff since the project started, sharing with them laboratory knowledge and standard operating procedures.

PMI Solo doctors and medical analysts have also received training attachments twice in Singapore.

Annual blood production at PMI Solo is now up to 60,000 units from 20,000 units before 2000 - a change that the head of the PMI Solo Blood Transfusion Centre, Dr H. Titis Wahyuono, credits to the partnership with the SIF.

He said the project has equipped his staff with better technical knowledge and helped make the blood donation process more efficient and safe.

For example, PMI Solo learnt that it required more beds and better blood equipment, the purchase of which sped up the service time for each donor.

The project, which is funded by the SIF, is one of the many programmes that the non-profit organisation carries out in other countries to promote international volunteerism among Singaporeans.

Mr Glenn Au, SIF's director of international volunteerism, said: 'SIF volunteers have also learnt a great deal from their hosts.'