Academy
The Continuing Medical Education (CME) program on "Advances and Best Practices in Blood Component Therapy"
Basanta Khatiwada
Arun Bhandari
Srijana Koirala
The Continuing Medical Education (CME) program on "Advances and Best Practices in Blood Component Therapy" was successfully conducted on March 28, 2025, at the Dusit Princess hotel in Kathmandu. The event was jointly organised by the Department of Transfusion Medicine & Cellular Therapy (Proposed) from Civil Service Hospital (CSH) and the Department of Transfusion Medicine, Maharajgunj Medical Campus (MMC), Institute of Medicine (IOM), with full support from the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). 158 participants (99 virtual, 59 In-person) from Nepal and India had registered for the event. 102 participants attended the event in person while 110 attended virtually via Zoom. This significant educational initiative brought together specialists, resident doctors, nursing officers, interns, medical students and blood bank technicians to discuss current practices, challenges, and advancements in blood component therapy.
The one-day program commenced with an inaugural ceremony jointly conducted by the Prof. Arunkumar Govindakarnavar (WHO Nepal), Prof. Bishesh Sharma Poudyal (national subject expert), Rekha Manandhar Shrestha (coordinator of National Bureau for Blood Transfusion Services (NBBTS)), and Srijana Koirala (Dept. Head Pathology, CSH).
The first session, chaired by Manita, AK Jha, and Rekha, focused on foundational aspects of blood component therapy. Yashaswi Dhiman, Assistant Professor from Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU), India, delivered a talk on "Fundamentals of Blood Components Therapy." This was followed by Basanta Khatiwada, Assistant Professor from CSH, Nepal, who presented on "What are we doing Nepal Vs World: Problem statement," providing valuable context on the current state of transfusion medicine in Nepal compared to global standards. The session concluded with Satyam Arora, Additional Professor from Post Graduate Institute of Child Health (PGICH), India, addressing "Transfusion in special populations: Pediatric," highlighting the unique considerations required when administering blood components to pediatric patients. A brief discussion period followed, allowing attendees to engage with the speakers and clarify their understanding.
Inauguration jointly by guest of honours
After a lunch break, the second session commenced under the moderation of Asst. Prof. Prasun and Anjan from MMC, IOM. Vijay Kumawat, Additional Professor from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), India, spoke on "Rational use of blood Vs Patient Blood Management," emphasising the importance of judicious blood utilisation strategies. Professor Ashish Jain from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), India, then detailed the "Indications of Red Cells: What & when to transfuse," providing clinical guidelines for appropriate red cell transfusion. The session was completed by Anupa Pokhrel, Assistant Professor from PGICH, India, who addressed common misconceptions in her talk on "Myth Vs Fact of Platelets Transfusion." An interactive discussion and a refreshing tea break followed this session.
Registration desk
The third scientific session, chaired by Prof. Jitendra, Prof. Bishesh, and Bipin, delved deeper into specialised aspects of transfusion medicine. Prashun Bhattacharya from Kolkata Medical College (KMC), India, presented on "Plasma components transfusion: Rational Vs Irrational use," highlighting evidence-based approaches to plasma therapy. Rahul Chaurasia, Additional Professor from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), India, then covered the "Process of blood administration: consent to monitoring," emphasising the procedural aspects of safe transfusion practices. Gopal Patidar, also an Additional Professor from AIIMS, India, concluded the presentations with his talk on "Risks with transfusions: Concept of Hemovigilance," underscoring the importance of monitoring and reporting transfusion-related adverse events.
Panellist from left to right Arun Bhandari, Rekha Manandhar Shrestha, Pariyar Jitendra, Bishesh Sharma and moderator: Basanta Khatiwada
A highlight of the event was the panel discussion on "Moving from whole blood transfusion to blood component therapy: Challenges & Mitigation strategies." The distinguished panel included Asst. Prof. Arun Bhandari from IOM, TUTH, Jitendra Pariyar and Bishesh Sharma Poudyal from CSH, Aparna Singh Shah representing WHO, and Rekha Manandhar Shrestha from NBBTS. The panellists shared insights on the practical challenges faced in implementing component therapy in Nepal's healthcare system and discussed potential strategies to overcome these obstacles. This was followed by an open discussion that encouraged participation from all attendees.
The CME program concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Srijana Koirala, Department Head Pathology, CSH, followed by a dinner for all participants. This educational event is of significant importance to Nepal's healthcare system as it addresses the critical transition from whole blood transfusion to component therapy, representing an important advancement in transfusion medicine practices. Overall, feedback from the participants was very positive, and they expressed that CME was very informative. By facilitating knowledge exchange between local and international experts, the program highlighted challenges specific to Nepal and outlined potential improvement strategies. The comprehensive discussions on patient blood management, rational use of blood components, and the importance of hemovigilance systems provided valuable insights for improving transfusion practices and ultimately enhancing patient outcomes across Nepal's healthcare institutions.
Rahul delivering his talk
Speakers with guest of honour from left to rightAnupa, Vijay, Gopal, Prashun, Bishesh, Arunkumar, Satyam, Ashish, Yashaswi, Rahul, Ajay
ISBT Academy Support
ARE YOU ORGANIZING AN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AFTER NOVEMBER 1, 2025?
Applications for the support of educational events held after November 2025
Apply for ISBT Academy Support, which is available for educational activities, the use of the ISBT logo and the ISBT endorsement of an existing educational course.
- Applications from countries in the Low, Lower Middle or Upper Middle World Bank Index categories are eligible
- Organisations from High Income Countries can only request financial support if it is intended to support the attendance of a participant from an eligible country, or if the HIC is hosting an educational activity in an eligible host country.
Each organization can only submit one application for financial support in a given year and can request to use the ISBT logo as many times as required.
