The Ministry of Health (MOH) represented by Directorate General of Specialized Medical Care (DGSMC) - Department of Blood Banks Services (DBBS) organized today Wednesday a workshop on “Look back investigations” at the Royal Hospital’s  main Auditorium. The workshop was attended by Dr. Kadhim Jaffer Suleiman, Director General of Specialized Medical Care as well as Dr. Zainab Al-Arimi, Director of Department of Blood Banks services.

Around 100 physicians, microbiologists, haematologists, and technical staff involved in blood banking and transfusion practices from the Governorate blood banks, and government and private hospitals practicing blood transfusion participated in the workshop that WHO STC Consultant Dr. Alan Kitchen lectured.

The workshop aimed at introducing and defining the principles of look back investigations and reviewing the current status in Oman and the importance of initiating hemovigilance program and look back investigations.

Focus was made on the DBBS proposal regarding Haemovigilance Program and look back investigations. In addition, it addressed the Canadian experience in transfusion transmissible risk. The workshop discussed international experiences in look back investigations and defined required infrastructure for performing such investigations highlighting Look back investigations on  HIV, HCV, HBV, HTLV I & II.