This session traces a four-decade effort to advance safe blood through quality and accreditation, from early work in India to region-wide implementation across Asia. Building on foundational quality training in the Netherlands, change efforts in India progressed despite early resistance, culminating in the development of provincial quality parameters and the launch of the Indian Blood Centre accreditation (ISQUA-recognized), now running successfully for nearly two decades. In 2022, the work expanded across the region through the AABB Quality Certificate for member countries of the Asian Association of Transfusion Medicine (AATM), to improve and harmonize blood bank quality standards at the ground level. Blood banks in four countries have already achieved AABB Quality Certification, with three more countries preparing. Work is also underway to develop NEQAS in interested Asian countries to sustain measurement, learning, and continuous improvement.
2026 Recipient: Nabajyoti Choudhury, MBBS, PhD, MBA (citation) In recognition of an influential, decades-spanning career dedicated to improving transfusion medicine safety and quality in India and throughout the world. Dr. Choudhury’s leadership of both his hospital and in the blood and biotherapies community in India has been indispensable. He has driven innovations and advancements that have enhanced safety and improved care for countless patients. In addition, he has been instrumental in helping to advance blood safety standards throughout the world.
About the Hemphill-Jordan Award This award was renamed in 2005 after Bernice Hemphill, W. Quinn Jordan, and Joel Solomon, and honors leaders from the transfusion medicine and biotherapies community. The award recognizes an individual who made significant contributions in the areas of administration, quality programs, law and/or government affairs. It may recognize one particular act or an accumulation of years of contributions. Acceptance of the award requires attendance at the Annual Meeting and the presentation of a lecture. The Hemphill-Jordan Leadership Award is presented annually, and the recipient is selected one year in advance. This award is funded through an endowment from Vitalant.
Learning Objectives:
Blood is red everywhere but quality standards differ country-to-country, region-to-region and we need to make it safe.
How ISQUA recognized the National accreditation system in India was developed step by step over the last two decades? A story on evolution.
Safe blood is needed in every country, especially in developing countries. Quality journey to provide AABB Quality Certifications in the greater Asian region is a mission.
The journey continues with establishing National EQAS in member countries of Asian Association of Transfusion Medicine (AATM) as the President.
Blood in us is the same and we are only divided by political boundaries. We need your help to provide safe blood supply across greater Asian countries.
