Status of Blood Transfusion Service in Bhutan

Abstract

Blood transfusion services in Bhutan are operated as a unit of the hospital laboratory services. There are currently 26 hospital-based blood banks that provide blood donation and transfusion services and one National Blood Bank at National Referral Hospital at Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. The National Blood Bank serves the additional activities of providing technical support to blood safety program (BSP) under the Ministry of Health and conducting quality assessment scheme for peripheral blood banks in blood group serology. BSP oversees the overall functioning of the blood transfusion services in the country. The program compiles and evaluates the report obtained annually from all the blood banks. This serves as a part of monitoring and assessment for the further improvement of blood transfusion services as per the National Standards for Blood Transfusion Service 2013.