Healthcare | Monday 18 April, 2016 3:43 am |

The 3rd International Conference of the Saudi Society of Transfusion Medicine opened on Saturday, focusing on a wide range of topics. More than 30 participants from Saudi Arabia and international countries attended the event.

On behalf of Minister of Health Khalid Al-Falih, the conference was opened by Dr. Tarif Bin Yusuf Al-A‘ma, deputy minister for therapeutic services.

After welcoming the guest of honor, participants and thanking the conference organizers, Dr. Ghazi Damanhouri, chairman of the scientific committee, remarked that this conference aimed at improving services and implementing better standardization not only in Saudi Arabia but also in the rest of the region.

He said: “Our common goals are clear safer transfusion and better health for our patients.”

His welcoming remarks was followed by Dr. Salwa Hindawi, president, Saudi Society of Transfusion Medicine (SSTM), who emphasized the importance of such a conference which gives its participants the knowledge and the tools they need to compete in today’s transfusion medicine world, while preparing them to be tomorrow’s transfusion medicine leaders.

She said: “The Saudi Society of Transfusion Medicine Organizing and Scientific Committee are working together to develop an excellent scientific program that covers blood transfusion challenges and updates where educational, clinical and developmental needs of a wide spectrum of participants from different specialties can be met.”

She announced that the scientific program will offer a number of tracks to guide participants through different topics such as donor recruitment, clinical transfusion, transfusion technology and quality, blood safety, immunohaematology and research with 3 workshops on Hospital Readiness for Accreditation Process, Inspection and Research Methodology.

Later, Tarif Al-A‘ma said: “It is my pleasure to inaugurate this important conference on behalf of the minister of health and would like to assure that the transfusion medicine comes as a top priority for the ministry.”

He added: “Our key priority is to ensure that transfusion medicine is improved and it is our responsibility to make sure that blood, tissues and cells are available when patients need them.”

In the closing ceremony, all members of the organizing committee were appreciated for their dedication and hard work and a memorial plaque of the 3rd International Conference of the Saudi Society was presented to all international speakers and participants.