Rwanda gets continental blood transfusion accreditation

Rwanda National Centre for Blood Transfusion on Friday received Level Three accreditation for maintaining quality and meeting international operational requirements and standards.

This is the top level that African Society for Blood Transfusion (AfSBT) awards to a country.

It was announced in Kigali, with Rwanda becoming second country in Africa to receive the Level Three award after Namibia.

It came after Rwanda in 2016 launched use of drones to deliver blood, plasma and coagulants to hospitals across rural areas, helping cut waiting times from hours to minutes.

The award was given after an assessment concluded that the Rwanda National Centre for Blood Transfusion met accepted standards based on international requirements adapted to the uniqueness of the African environment.

Gabriel Muyinda, president of AfSBT, hailed Rwanda National Centre for Blood Transfusion as one of Africa's best national blood programs worth learning from.

Diane Gashumba, Rwanda's Minister of Health, commended the country's health partners whose contribution she said was critical to meeting the benchmarks.

During Friday's occasion, a collaborating learning center in Rwanda was also inaugurated to offer training for professionals from the various National Blood Programs of the African continent or elsewhere. Endit