International Programs

Dominican Republic Project

Project Objectives:

In early 2019, the Health and Social Consortium of Catalonia (CSC) and the Blood and Tissue Bank (BST) signed a collaboration agreement with the Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic, committing to provide technical support services to facilitate the opening and operation of the National Hemocenter, located in Santo Domingo.

Project Description:

This support was provided through a training program aimed at building knowledge, skills, and technical abilities among professionals associated with the Hemocenter, enabling the National Hemocenter to operate optimally and provide blood management services to the public.

The training program was structured around various thematic areas related to blood management, agreed upon by the CSC, BST, the Ministry of Health, and Hemocenter representatives. These thematic areas were deemed essential for the center's timely launch.

The program's thematic areas included:

  • Identifying legal gaps regarding blood donation and transfusion.
  • Defining the process map and service portfolio for the Hemocenter.
  • Establishing the Hemocenter’s economic-financial feasibility plan.
  • Certification and systematization of the donation model and campaigns.
  • Assessing the country's present and future blood therapy needs.
  • Evaluating the Hemocenter's operational capacity.
  • Transfusion services and rational use of blood components.
  • Formulation and implementation of cross-cutting plans for the Hemocenter's launch.

Project Development:

To deliver this training program, CSC and BST formed a team of experts in the program's thematic areas, who traveled to the Dominican Republic. Using practical, participatory methods, they conveyed both theoretical and conceptual knowledge, as well as practical tools required to establish the National Hemocenter's initial and ongoing operations.

The training program also included two notable initiatives: a visit to Catalonia by Hemocenter professionals to observe BST facilities, and a "train-the-trainer" model for Hemocenter professionals.

In early 2021, an addendum extended the Blood and Tissue Bank’s collaboration with the National Hemocenter in Santo Domingo through 2022.

  • The thematic areas included:
    • Design, organization, and implementation of blood donation and promotion.
    • Transfusion epidemiology.
    • Supervision of serology: process verification/audit.
    • Quality control of blood components.
    • Design and implementation of information systems.
    • Logistical capacity assessment.
    • Quality management system oversight by the National Hemocenter team.
    • Expansion of the Hemocenter's service portfolio.
    • Positioning the Hemocenter as a regional reference.
    • Specialized training in Barcelona for the National Hemocenter team.
    • Support and management guidance for the center.
    • Training for the nodes in the Hemotherapy Network.

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