Korean Red Cross

The Korean Red Cross Blood Services (KRCBS), led by Kwon So-Yong, held a five-day training program aiming to impart advanced blood management system and policies from August 19 to 23 for staff from Laos involved in blood services, including Dr. Chanthala Souksakhone, the Director of the National Blood Transfusion Institute(NBTI), Lao Red Cross.

This training is part of the development cooperation project between the KRCBS, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center, and the NBTI. The program aims to contribute to the advancement of blood services in the ASEAN region.

The training program focused on ¡®Blood Management and Policy¡¯ at the request of the NBTI. The program included lectures assisting participants to comprehend the current state and policies of blood management in Korea, as well as on-site visit programs to Seoul Central Blood Center, Central Blood Laboratory Center, and Plasma Fractionation Center, where blood collection and management take place.

The KRCBS has supported Laos¡¯s blood services in addition to the training program by providing two small buses for blood drives and two tube sealers last year. This year, we will further assist by supplying three additional small buses for blood drives and six tube sealers to regional blood centers with difficulties in blood supply.

Kwon So-Yong, the Director General of the KRCBS, remarked, ¡°It is now the time to play a role that reflects the international status of our country¡¯s blood services,¡± and added, ¡°We will continue to pursue development cooperation projects that share our expertise of blood services to sister Red Cross societies.¡±

Meanwhile, the KRCBS dispatched staff to the Indonesian Red Cross Society in response to a WHO request to provide consultancy on plasma fractionation projects and actively collaborates with international organizations and sister Red Cross societies to advance blood services in the ASEAN region.