INTRODUCTION:

The Transfusion Medicine Unit (TMU) provides blood transfusion support in terms of blood and blood components for clinical use in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and other health care facilities in the Ashanti Region and beyond. Established in 2002, the Unit operates under the Medical Director’s ambit.

The Unit seeks to provide a steady regular supply of safe blood to patients requiring blood as a therapeutic intervention.

Currently, 80% of total blood collections in KATH, emanates from voluntary non-remunerated blood donors with a repeat voluntary donor population of 30%.

The unit continually strives to increase voluntary blood donations and has initiated a drive to convert family replacement donors into altruistic voluntary donors.

STRUCTURE:

• Donor Organization unit
• Laboratory Services unit
• Donor Clinic

MANAGEMENT TEAM

The unit is under the management of:

Head of Unit                                                  

Technical Head – Labs Section                     

Head – Donor Care Section                           

Head – Donor Organisation    Section           

Senior Administrative Manager                       

Management Team Members –TMU

 

	Dr. Francis Sarkodie (PhD) Deputy Chief MLS Head- Laboratory, TMU		Mr. Barnabas Asamoah (MPH) Snr. Admin. Manager-TMU

KEY FUNCTIONS & SERVICES:

1. Donor Organization

The Donor Organization involves the planning of mobile blood collecting sessions, recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors, attracting new areas i.e. work areas, groups, etc, for blood collection.

2. Laboratory Services

Transfusion–Transmissible Infection screening assays namely anti-HIV, HBsAg, anti-HCV and Syphilis antibody tests are carried out under quality-assured means on all blood units for patient care.

Immuno-haematology services include Blood grouping serology for both patients and donors, Compatibility testing of blood units for patients, Antibody investigations and Investigations for adverse transfusion reactions.

Blood and Blood components provided by the unit are Concentrated Red cells, Whole Blood, Fresh Frozen Plasma, Cryoprecipitate and Platelet concentrates.

3. Donor Clinic

The Donor Clinic offers Pre and Post Donation Counseling to prospective and deferred blood donors respectively. Therapeutic Venesections are carried out for referred patients. Pre-Operative Autologous Blood Donation services are available for well-informed elective patients from either of the surgical disciplines. It is very much encouraged that this service will be patronized tremendously to reduce over-reliance on allogeneic blood.

4. Clinical support

The TMU assists clinical care with appropriate use of blood guidance on a daily walk-in basis. Consults are available also for Transfusion related clinical issues and the management of special transfusion related cases. A Haemovigilance program has been initiated with the support of Terumo BCT and JICA in three departments; Oncology, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The ultimate goal is to roll it out successfully across all the Clinical Departments in KATH.

TRAINING & RESEARCH

 The Transfusion Medicine Unit continues to play a vital role in the In-service training of most categories of health workers on Blood related issues such as Procedures for Requesting Blood, Collection and Storage of Blood, Administration etc. The unit has trained several batches of Phlebotomists who render quality services across the hospital to relieve clinical areas and laboratories of the pressure of long waiting times for clients and donors.

The unit also plays a vital role in the induction training of Intern doctors and pharmacists by introducing them to the basic rudiments of a safe transfusion practice. Practical support is offered to students training and preparing towards their Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. Part-time teaching of Clinical Medical students in Transfusion Medicine is also offered by the unit.

The unit has contributed over the years in building research capacity and providing local blood transfusion evidence in Ghana and Sub-Sahara from several studies carried out.

A landmark clinical trial, African Investigation of the Mirasol System (AIMS) was conducted with Terumo BCT and it was demonstrated that the transmission of malaria through blood transfusion could be significantly reduced using the Mirasol technology. As a result of this study the Mirasol Whole Blood (WB) system was CE marked in September 2015. This has culminated in the implementation of the Mirasol Whole Blood Pathogen Reduction Technology in two teaching Hospitals (Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye) in Ghana. 

COLLABORATIONS

International institutions who have forged strong research collaborations with the unit include:

• Division of Transfusion Medicine, Department of Haematology of the University of Cambridge and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool.
• Sliagen LLC, Austin, Texas
• Terumo BCT Inc, Europe

PUBLICATIONS:

1. Microchimerism in Ghanaian children recipients of whole blood transfusion for severe anaemia. Assennato SM, Owusu-Ofori S, Osei-Akoto A, Lambert NC, Allain JP. Vox Sang. 2019 Feb; 114 (2):162-170. doi: 10.1111/vox.12734. PMID. 30523635
2. Improving the screening of blood donors with syphilis rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Sarkodie F, Hassall O, Owusu-Dabo E, Owusu-Ofori S, Bates I, Bygbjerg IC, Owusu-Ofori A, Harritshøj LH, Ullum H. Transfus Med. 2017 Feb; 27(1):52-59. doi: 10.1111/tme.12363
3. Detection of adverse events of transfusion in a teaching hospital in Ghana. Owusu-Ofori AK, Owusu-Ofori SP, Bates I. Transfus Med. 2017 Jan 31. doi: 10.1111/tme. 12392. PMID: 28139022
4. Characterization of posttransfusion Plasmodium falciparum infection in semi-immune nonparasitemic patients. Allain JP, Assennato SM, Osei EN, Owusu-Ofori AK, Marschner S, Goodrich RP, Owusu-Ofori S. Transfusion. 2016 Sep; 56(9):2374-83. doi: 10.1111/trf.13706.
5. Effect of Plasmodium inactivation in whole blood on the incidence of blood transfusion-transmitted malaria in endemic regions: the African Investigation of the Mirasol System (AIMS) randomised controlled trial. Allain JP, Owusu-Ofori AK, Assennato SM, Marschner S, Goodrich RP, Owusu-Ofori S. 2016 Apr 23; 387 (10029):1753-61. doi:
6. A novel strategy for screening blood donors for syphilis at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Sarkodie F, Ullum H, Owusu-Dabo E, Owusu-Ofori S, Owusu-Ofori A, Hassall O. Transfus Med. 2016 Feb; 26(1):63-6. doi: 10.1111/tme.12279. PMID: 26834072
7. Fourteen-year experience of a tertiary hospital transfusion committee in West Africa. Opare-Sem O, Bedu-Addo G, Karikari P, Boateng P, Sarkodie F, Rahman R, Asenso-Mensah K, Awuah B, Osei Akoto A, Munin SA, Mensah-Acheampong F, Allain JP, Owusu-Ofori S. Transfusion. 2014 May 20. doi: 10.1111/trf.12690. PMID: 24845344
8. Appropriateness of blood product transfusion in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) department of a tertiary hospital in West Africa. Osei EN, Odoi AT, Owusu-Ofori S, Allain JP. Transfus Med. 2013 Jun; 23(3):160-6. doi: 10.1111/tme.12028.PMID: 23672710
9. Can family or replacement blood donors become regular volunteer donors? Asenso-Mensah K, Achina G, Appiah R, Owusu-Ofori S, Allain JP. Transfusion. 2014 Mar; 54(3 Pt 2):797-804. doi: 10.1111/trf.12216.PMID: 23614450
10. Investigating the prevalence of transfusion transmission of Plasmodium within a hyperendemic blood donation system. Freimanis G, Sedegah M, Owusu-Ofori S, Kumar S, Allain JP. Transfusion. 2013 Jul; 53(7):1429-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2012.03943.x..PMID: 23113534

Contact

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