Osijek’s blood bank will be the first to test the new device.
As Glas Slavonije/Mirela Mihelić writes on the 24th of February, 2018, it isn’t a coincidence that the Clinical Institute for Transfusion Medicine of the Osijek Hospital Clinic, within which the Regional Transfusion Center, or more specifically the blood bank, is the only one in the world to assess the device that has not yet been released and is owned by the well-known Fresenius company.
Experts will arrive at Osijek’s KBC next week, and the head of department, prof. Prim. dr. sc. Samardžija, proudly points out that this is a great honour, which was provided for by not only foreign experts but also by the Croatian Ministry of Health, whose inspection has issued a license to operate the blood bank for five years in a row, whereas it is usually just two. This has happened after the blood department, which is of course part of the blood bank, was completely renovated.
“Thanks to our administration, the two hundred square meter space has been totally adapted, which is of great importance since it’s a sensitive area, more specifically department where blood products are produced. The work was a tremendous effort, and at that time, blood work didn’t stop for a minute. Full doses of blood come here and are centrifuged and separated,” Dr. Samardžija explained.
She also pointed out that last year there were 61,999 blood preparations for the needs of the region, so along with Osijek, the blood was needed for distribution to nearby hospitals in Vukovar, Vinkovci, Našice, Slavonski Brod, Virovitica and Nova Gradiška. The newly upgraded space also brought with it improved working conditions, because transfusion, as Dr. Samardžija states, is a very specific profession that combines science, medicine, technology and the community as a whole.
”Blood is a cure, so it’s a duty to make sure numerous laws, regulations, even pharmaceutical requirements as taken care of,” the doctor added.
This Osijek facility, otherwise the second-largest regional transfusion center in Croatia, also has a steady increase in the number of donations, despite real problems, such as the emigration of young people, who are potential voluntary blood donors. Dr. Samardžija also points out excellent cooperation with all the Red Cross societies has helped immensely, and says that from the total of 192,000 blood donations collected in Croatia last year, the blood bank in Osijek collected an impressive 31,105 of them.
All of the excellent results and achievements are due to the fact that in the period from 2011 to 2014, KBC Osijek was completely reorganised.
