About the Blood Bank Department
The Department of Transfusion Medicine (or Blood Bank) is truly the heart of the hospital as the most critical unit that other important departments depend on. At the time of inception, it was the first to be established, with the primary intention to promote cardiac surgeries in this country, as most people were travelling to India for this purpose. It is run to international standards and that image and status is maintained as in any exemplar international hospital.
The Department is headed by the Director of Medical Services and run by Dr S. Deepa Tillewardene with her excellent team of 7 technicians and 2 receptionists.
The focus of the department is to provide an adequate supply of safe and high quality blood and blood components, on time and to save lives.
Services
For the public the following services are offered:
- Voluntary donation of whole blood
- Voluntary donation of Apheresed blood
For patients the following services are offered:
- Supply of safe and quality blood and blood components (whole blood, red blood cell concentrate, platelets, fresh and frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate)
- Blood Group Serology Investigations
- Blood grouping
- Antibody screening/identification/titrates
- Direct Coombs Test/Indirect Coombs Test
- Therapeutic Phlebotomy (Venesection)
- Therapeutic Plasma Exchange
- Neonatal Exchange Transfusion
- Tissue Crossmatch for renal transplants
- Testing for HLA B27 Antigen
The Department uses state-of-the-art technology that includes:
- VITROS-ECI (ORTHNO Diagnositics from Johnson & Johnson) - an automated analyser used to test all blood units for transfusion transmitted infections such as HIV I and II, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. All collected blood units are screened for the HIV I and II antibodies, HIV P24 Antigen, Hepatitis B: HBSAG, anti-HB Core, Hepatitis C, Malarial Antigen and Syphilis Antigen
- Haemonetics Apheresis machine - to enable Platelet Apheresis and Therapeutic Plasma Exchange
The special services offered exclusively by the Lanka Hospitals Dept. of Transfusion Medicine are:
- Excellent quality standards of blood and blood components by testing for all transfusion transmitted diseases on an automated analyser through Leucoreduction of blood components to minimize transfusion reaction.
- HLA B27 testing
- Tissue Crossmatching for renal transplants
Why choose us?
The supply of blood and blood component products are obtained and maintained by the very latest methods and technology. Some of the tests performed are not mandatory and exceed WHO stipulations. Donated blood is supplied at optimum efficiency to the various other departments as whole blood or as components so that no blood is wasted. It also ensures that unnecessary components are not given to patients not requiring them.
Location & Contact Details
Located: 1st floor near the Medical ICU (for speedy access in emergencies)
Service Hours: Open 24 hours, 365 days a year for Inpatients and Outpatients
Daily 8am to 5pm for blood donations
Contact Numbers: To contact the Department of Transfusion Medicine, call
0115431120 for Reception
0115431123 for Transfusion Medicine Laboratory
0115431122 for Consultant Emergency Hotline 1566 (all networks except Mobitel)
