Academy: Highlights Day
The 6th Congress of the MSTM with international participation
The 6th Congress of the Macedonian Society for Transfusion Medicine (MSTM) with international participation was held in the Congress Center in Aleksandar Palace Hotel in Skopje, N. Macedonia from the 1st to the 4th November, 2023.
The congress was organized by the Macedonian Society for Transfusion Medicine (MSTM), under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of RNM in cooperation with the Institute for Transfusion Medicine, and was supported by ISBT and MedTech Europe, the Macedonian Medical Association (MMA) and the Medical Chamber of North Macedonia. The home page of the Congress can be found here
Welcome guests: Rada M. Grubovic Rastvorceva and Pierre Tiberghien.
The work, expertise, enthusiasm, ambition and achievements of the MSTM were recognized by the ISBT, leading to holding the very first ISBT Highlight Day in North Macedonia. This event took place on the first day of the MSTM congress; the schedule was split into three sessions: Adverse events and haemovigilance, Clinical transfusion and Blood donation. International experts from the transfusion medicine field gave lectures: Pierre Tiberghien (France), Ruchika Goel (USA), Miquel Lozano (Spain), Riikka Lehtisalo (Finland), Rada M. Grubovic Rastvorceva, (France), Sedula Useini (North Macedonia), Elena Petkovic (North Macedonia).
Participants at the opening ceremony
The link to the Scientific program, including ISBT Highlight day can be found here . The Congress was officially opened by the Minister of Health of RNM, Fatmir Medziti and the President of ISBT,Pierre Tiberghien, President of Macedonian Medical Association Goran Dimitrov, and Rada M. Grubovic Rastvorceva, President of the Congress. The opening was also attended by representative from the Cabinet of the President of RNM, Rector of Goce Delcev University (UGD) Dejan Mirakovski, the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at UDG Milka Zdravkovska, a large number of specialists in transfusion medicine and other disciplines, health allied workers, nurses and laboratory technicians, representatives of patient associations. Rada Grubovic greeted all the guests, and especially the retired transfusiologists, as well as colleagues who are no longer with us, but their contribution to the field of transfusion medicine will live forever - Miloš Grubović, the founder of voluntary blood donation in RNM, Perko Kolevski, the first Minister of Health in independent Macedonia, and Irfan Baftiari, employed in the transfusion service in Tetovo. The welcome words were followed by a short program with the renowned ethnic music group Synthesis, a cocktail and networking.
The main topics of the Congress were: blood donation, immunohematology, blood components, clinical transfusion and haemovigilance, hemostasis and hemostatic disorders, cell therapy and transplantation medicine, patient blood management, blood safety and quality control in transfusion medicine, which were distributed in 19 sessions with 18 plenary lectures.
There were 25 introductory lectures, 45 oral presentations and poster sessions and it took place in 3 congresses halls over 4 days. More than 450 doctors from North Macedonia, the region and other parts of the world participated (Representatives were from France, USA, England, Finland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Republika Srpska, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Albania, Turkey, Kosovo, Belgium, etc).
There were 10 symposia during the congress where manufacturers presented the latest trends in the treatment of certain diseases, such as hemophilia and venous thromboembolism and technologies for collecting, processing and testing of blood. The congress was an excellent opportunity for transfusion medicine specialists to share the results of their research, to hear about future direction in transfusion medicine and related branches in plenary and introductory lectures from well-known international experts, as well as to discuss the newest clinical achievements designed to improve donor and patient care.
More than 30 invited speakers participated in the congress, including the following plenary lecturers: Bela Balint, member of SANU, Belgrade, Serbia; Aleksandar Mijović, King's College Hospital, London, England; Nigar Ertuğrul Oruç, Director of the largest transfusion facility in Ankara, Turkey; Dragoslav Domanović, Medical Director of the European Blood Alliance (EBA), Belgium/Slovenia; Alex Aquilina, National Transfusion Service of Malta, Malta; r. Dzihan Abazović, President of the Global Regenerative Academy, Montenegro/USA; Assoc. Ana Antic, President of Transfusion Medicine Association of Serbia; Milena Todorović - Balint, University Clinic for Hematology, Belgrade, Serbia; Sherri Ozawa, immediate past President of Society for Advancement of Patient Blood Management (SABM), USA; Dusan Vusetic, Medical Military Academy, Belgrade, Serbia; Snezana Jovanovic-Srzentic, Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia; above mentioned speakers from the ISBT - Pierre Tiberghien, France; Ruchika Goel, USA; Miquel Lozano, Spain; Rika Lehtisalo, Finland; Sedula Useini, N. Macedonia; Elena Petkovic, North. Macedonia; Rada M. Grubović Rastvorceva, who presented on behalf of EDQM regarding the transfusion activities of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM) at the Council of Europe, as well and etc. The Speakers and their short biographies can be found here .
The Allied Health Professionals, Nurses and Laboratory Technician Day was held for the second time during the Congress, and to our great pleasure a large number of attendees who work in transfusion services and other hospitals in the country and the region participated.
Rada M. Grubovic Rastvorceva giving a speech
The 6th Congress of the Macedonian Society for Transfusion Medicine with international participation was an excellent opportunity for professional networking with colleagues and representatives of the exhibitors. A stimulating educational and scientific program and an interesting social program were presented at the Congress, which we hope will long remain in the memories of all participants of the Congress. Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, is a beautiful city in the south of the Balkans with rich history and a lot of historical monuments, well known generosity and the unique atmosphere in its streets and restaurants.
Speakers at the congress
The 6th Congress of the Macedonian Society for Transfusion Medicine (MSTM) with international participation at Aleksandar Palace Hotel in Skopje, N. Macedonia from 1st to the 4th of November, 2023.
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