Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion - BBMT - Pakistan

31/01/2026

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RegionalAnnual Conference of BBMT-Pakistan held in Sri Lanka Usman Waheed Ministry of National Health Services, PakistanRead Bio >The 6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan was successfully held from December 3-4, 2025, at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Organ...

23/01/2026

The BBMT-Pakistan delegation, along with international delegates from the UK, Cyprus, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Lebanon, visited the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, the largest government hospital in the country. The visit was guided by Dr. K. D. Pradeep Wijesinghe, Deputy DG, Ministry of Health, where participants observed transfusion practices in tertiary healthcare settings.

Established in 1864, the National Hospital has a capacity of approximately 5,000 beds, making it one of the largest hospitals in South Asia. The hospital’s blood bank (HBB) is closely linked with the National Blood Centre, Colombo.

Situated on a 36-acre campus, the hospital complex also houses the Dental Institute, Maligawatte Kidney Hospital, Nurses’ Training School, Post-Basic Nurses’ Training School, School of Echocardiography, School of Physiotherapy, School of Radiography, and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.

16/01/2026

6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan, held at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Session 6: Thalassaemia Prevention in Pakistan:

Chaired by Dr. Dure Naz Jamal, Dr. Muhammad Younus Jamal and moderated by Dr. Yasir Hayat Taj, this session underscored the national efforts for thalassaemia prevention and control.

Prof. Shabnam Bashir (Punjab) presented the Punjab model on premarital thalassaemia screening.

Air Vice Marshal (R) Aftab Hussain discussed challenges in implementing compulsory testing laws.

Dr. Huma Riaz (KP) shared diagnostic insights using the Mentzer Index for thalassaemia carrier detection.

Prof. Malik Zeb Khan (Peshawar) presented research on serum ferritin levels for chelation therapy monitoring.

Warqa Khalid (Karachi) discussed patient compliance with different Deferasirox dosages.

Session 7: Beyond the Textbook – Case-Based Learning in Thalassaemia Therapy:

The final scientific session, chaired by Prof. Samina T. Amanat (Islamabad), Dr. Sadia Anwar (Lahore), and moderated by Dr. Huma Riaz (Peshawar), showcased clinical case discussions on optimizing thalassaemia therapy.

Dr. Muhammad Tariq Masood Khan: Addressed myths and realities of thalidomide use

Brig. (R) Prof. Munir Akmal Lodhi: Examined genetic predictors of therapeutic response

Dr. Saqib H. Ansari: Reviewed alternative management approaches beyond transfusion dependency

Dr. Hanif Mengal: Presented treatment outcomes from Balochistan,

Dr. Muhammad Younus Jamal: Reported a rare case of thalidomide-induced cerebral ischemia

Noorulain Fareed (NICVD): Shared innovative screening indices for thalassaemia prevention.

16/01/2026

6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan, held at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Day 2, Session 5: Workshop on Research Planning, Scientific Writings, Indexation, and Translation of Basic Research in Transfusion Medicine

Moderated by Dr. Usman Waheed, this workshop guided participants through essential skills in research design, publication ethics, and indexation.

Young researchers gained hands-on experience in structuring manuscripts for international journals, supported by case studies from transfusion research.

15/01/2026

6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan, held at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Day 2, Session 4: Thalidomide Use in Thalassaemia:

Moderated by Prof. Samina T. Amanat, Dr. Muhammad Tariq Masood Khan, Brig. (R) Prof. Munir Akmal Lodhi, and Dr. Saqib H. Ansari, this session delved into the pharmacological, clinical, and ethical dimensions of thalidomide therapy in thalassaemia.

Discussions included efficacy and genetic response to thalidomide, emerging complications and management strategies, and case reports on reversible neurological effects.

06/01/2026

6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan, held at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Day 1, Session 3: Innovative Strategies in Transfusion Medicine:

Chaired by Prof. Hanif Mengal (Balochistan), co-chaired by Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe (Sri Lanka), and moderated by Dr. Uzma Atta (Karachi), this session explored the interface between innovation, clinical practice, and technology.

Dr. Jenny White, ISBT, presented Grouping to Genotyping, demonstrating how advanced immunohaematology enhances transfusion safety.

Prof. Saima Farhan (Lahore) discussed platelet transfusion challenges in Pakistan.

Joana Bikulciene emphasized access to Plasma-Derived Medicinal Products through effective fractionation systems.

Dr. Farwa Sijjeel (Islamabad) presented data on leukoreduction’s impact on transfusion reactions.

Free papers covered efficiency in blood banking (Sammar Fatima), gene polymorphisms in thalassaemia (Niba Binte Rehmat), adverse transfusion reactions (Abuzar Ghaffari) and clinical evaluation of blood utilization (Abrar Afzal).

The day concluded with two major launching ceremonies, (1) National Guidelines on Quality Control in Transfusion Medicine (4th Edition) and the (2) Textbook of Clinical Phlebotomy, authored by Dr. Usman Waheed, Dr. Maqsood Ahmad, Dr. Noor-e-Saba, and Dr. Akhlaaq Wazeer. Additionally, the official BBMT-Pakistan website was inaugurated, providing a digital platform for knowledge sharing and professional networking.

05/01/2026

6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan, held at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Session 2: Blood Transfusion Safety:

Chaired by Dr. Dure Naz Jamal (Sindh BTA), co-chaired by Dr. B. R. N. Gunaratne (Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka), and moderated by Prof. Muhammad Anwar (JPMC, Karachi), this session focused on national surveillance, disease burden, and blood safety measures in low-resource settings.

Prof. Muhammad Bilal Ghafoor (Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab) delivered an evidence-based review on Transfusion-Transmissible Infections: Screening, Surveillance, and Prevention.

Dr. Noor e Saba (Provincial Ministry of Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) presented epidemiological data on Hepatitis B and C among Blood Donors and Thalassaemia Patients in Pakistan.

Dr. Akhlaaq Wazeer (State Ministry of Health, AJK) reported the First Confirmed Case of Transfusion-Transmitted Hepatitis E in Pakistan.

Dr. Shafi Muhammad Khosa (Provincial Ministry of Health, Balochistan) shared his field experience on strengthening transfusion services in resource-limited regions.

Free papers in this session addressed topics including female donor recruitment (Zareen Irshad), leucodepletion filters (Haris Sher), and alloimmunization in thalassaemia patients (Usama Qamar).

A notable regional presentation was given by Abdel Ghany Morda (Cyprus) on optimizing blood bag volume for efficiency.

04/01/2026

6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan, held at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Session 1: Haemovigilance and Traceability in Transfusion Medicine:

Chaired by Dr. Jenny White (Executive Director, ISBT, Netherlands), co-chaired by Prof. Shabnam Bashir (Director, IBTS Punjab, Pakistan), and moderated by Prof. Khalid Khan (HOD Pathology, HMC, Peshawar, Pakistan), this session addressed emerging global trends in haemovigilance, traceability, and digital transformation in transfusion systems.

Dr. Ayesha Abeywardane (Sri Lanka) opened the session with an insightful talk on “Haemovigilance and Beyond: Building Safer Transfusion Systems.”

Joana Bikulciene (Lithuania) followed with a presentation on “Digital Transformation in Transfusion Medicine”, highlighting the European model for real-time traceability and donor screening integration.

Dr. B. R. Nihal Gunaratne (Sri Lanka) shared the paediatric perspective on Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) in Children.

Dr. Usman Waheed (Pakistan) discussed Managing Blood Banks During Humanitarian Crises, featuring case studies from Pakistan and Afghanistan and the recent ongoing disaster situations in Sri Lanka.

The session concluded with four free paper presentations on haemovigilance practices (Usman Rasheed Butt), mapping transfusion-transmissible infections (Maeesa Sajeel), mapping silent carriers in Sindh (Shah Zaib), and donor safety indicators from Islamabad (Farwa Sijjeel).

01/01/2026

𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 [𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗱. 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲] 🇵🇰

This fourth edition benefits from the input of both national and international experts, including collaborators from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Iran, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, and Luxembourg. It represents a unified, evidence-based, and forward-looking framework that aims to elevate the quality of transfusion services in Pakistan to global benchmarks.

We are deeply grateful to the provincial and regional editors whose leadership ensured a broad-based and inclusive approach: Dr. Usman Waheed (Islamabad Capital Territory), Dr. Dure Naz Jamal (Sindh), Prof. Shabnam Bashir (Punjab), Dr. Noor e Saba (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Dr. Muhammad Afzal Zarkoon (Balochistan), Dr. Naveed Ahmed (Azad Jammu & Kasmir), Dr. Farwa Sijjeel (Islamabad Capital Territory), and Dr. Akhlaaq Wazeer (Azad Jammu & Kasmir).

It is hoped that the document will encourage blood banks and transfusion services to develop strong quality assurance programmes, organize scheme of management and employ training and competency evaluation programmes. Standardized forms developed are also provided in the document which must be routinely used in the blood centres. The guideline draws from the documents of the World Health Organization, International Society of Blood Transfusion, European Union, International Haemovigilance Network and Technical Manual of American Association of Blood Banks.

22/12/2025

Inaugural Session of the 6th Annual BBMT-Pakistan Conference, Colombo, Sri Lanka

15/12/2025

"Inauguration by Director General Health, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka"

The 6th Annual Conference of Bring Brilliant Minds of Transfusion (BBMT)-Pakistan was held on December 3-4, 2025, at Taj Samudra, Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together 186 participants, including 103 in-person delegates and 83 virtual attendees via Zoom, from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Cyprus, Lebanon, and the UK. With the theme “The New Era of Transfusion Medicine in Pakistan: Innovation Through Policy, Partnership, Preparedness, Progress, and People”, the event showcased BBMT’s growing regional influence and commitment to strengthening transfusion systems through scientific exchange and collaborative action.

Across two days, the conference featured 51 oral presentations, two hands-on workshops, and institutional visits to the National Blood Centre and National Hospital Colombo. Scientific sessions addressed haemovigilance, digital transformation, transfusion safety, platelet and plasma therapies, thalassaemia management, and innovative strategies in blood banking. Key regional and international experts, including representatives from ISBT, WHO, and Sri Lanka’s National Blood Transfusion Service, contributed significantly to the program.

Major achievements included the launch of the National Guidelines on Quality Control in Transfusion Medicine (4th Edition) and the Textbook of Clinical Phlebotomy, Pakistan’s first indigenous phlebotomy reference. The BBMT-Pakistan official website was also inaugurated, advancing digital communication and professional networking.

The conference strengthened Pakistan–Sri Lanka collaboration, enhanced technical capacity of young professionals through workshops, and promoted evidence-based policy and standardization. With plans for future MoUs, fellowship programs, and expanded regional partnerships, the event reaffirmed BBMT-Pakistan’s leadership in driving innovation, quality, and global engagement in transfusion medicine.

24/11/2025