Introduction

In 2021, Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN), in affiliation with the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), introduced an Associate Degree in Blood Transfusion Technology (AD-BTT) as a 2-year program of its kind in Pakistan. This program aims to fulfil national and global blood banking employment needs by providing high-quality education and professional development to optimize blood safety.

To accomplish its aim, the AD-BTT curriculum offers a blended learning experience through a combination of technical, communication and social development courses and co-curricular activities. Given the standardized curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment practices, the students will be provided with clear goals and a plan of action through guidebooks, module descriptors, and semester schedules at the start of each semester.

Building on standardized intellectual, technological, and physical provisions, need-based academic supervision is central to the program’s quality assurance and making its alumni the valedictorians of precision, productivity, and continuous advancement in Pakistani blood transfusion services.

The AD-BTT was initially launched in Karachi, Jamshoro, Multan and Bahawalpur and is currently striving to prepare compassionate, globally competitive and ready-to-work graduates in blood transfusion medicine and blood banking. However, the IHHN management is determined to:
 Advance the degree through relevant higher degrees in Blood Transfusion Medicine and;
 Initiate the AD-BTT in all regional blood centers as a capacity-building step at the grassroots level.

The IHHN and NUMS-affiliated AD-BTT Program Campuses in Sindh and Punjab include:
• Indus Hospital & Health Network-Blood Center (IHHN-BC), Karachi, Sindh
• IHHN-Regional Blood Center (RBC), Jamshoro, Sindh
• IHHN-Regional Blood Center (RBC), Bahawalpur, Punjab
• IHHN-Regional Blood Center (RBC), Multan, Punjab

Program Objectives 

This program is designed to:
• Improve blood safety by developing and delivering need-driven international quality education to optimize blood safety.
• Provide high-quality education and professional development.

Scope of  Practice 

In the last decade, the national reforms in blood banking have resulted in establishing 20+ regional blood centers and revamping the existing blood banks, resulting in a high demand for skilled and educated medical technologists in blood transfusion medicine.

Responding to the market needs, the curriculum has been developed with an applied and focused approach, in close consultation with experts drawn from blood banking and hematology, providing a solid general education background and developing specialized knowledge and skills essential for blood bank technologists.

This Associate Degree in Blood Transfusion Technology program will play a pivotal role in fulfilling demand-driven human capital development in blood banking, critical for Pakistan.

Degree Awarding Authority  

National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)