Kathmandu, December 20: Korea Overseas Volunteer (KOV) Taekyu An, a Lab Technology volunteer dispatched by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has successfully completed a small-scale KOV project at the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), Provincial Blood Transfusion Service in Pokhara, Kaski. Since his assignment to NRCS in February 2025, he has worked on a project titled “Improvement Activities for Ensuring Blood Safety and Prompt Blood Transfusion.”

The main objective of this project is to prevent blood contamination and ensure safety while protecting laboratory examiners from potential infections. Additionally, the project aims to reduce the time required for pre-transfusion testing, enabling faster and more efficient blood transfusions. In his project, An emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the risks of blood contamination at blood donation sites, minimizing clerical errors, and ensuring a safe working environment for laboratory personnel. With the support from KOICA, KOV An contributed USD 19,900 to strengthen the capacity of the Blood Bank, Kaski by providing two essential medical equipment; an Automated Cell Washing Centrifuge and a Portable Tube Sealer.

The project handover ceremony was held on December 17 at the NRCS Office in Pokhara in the presence of Mooheon Kong, Country Director of the KOICA Nepal Office, along with Ms. Urmila Khadka Bhandari, President as well as members and staffer of the Nepal Red Cross Society.

During the ceremony, Kong expressed heartfelt appreciation for KOV An, recognizing his dedication, hard work, and commitment in successfully completing the project. He strongly emphasized that through this project, KOICA could introduce Nepal’s first Automated Cell Washing Centrifuge, supporting the Blood Bank Pokhara in upgrading compatibility testing procedures such as cross-matching and antibody screening. The machine would also enable the preparation of specialized blood products, including washed red blood cells, which help prevent allergic reactions, reduce potassium levels, and prepare cells for further analysis—ultimately ensuring safer blood transfusions.

Additionally, he highlighted the importance of a portable tube sealer, noting that its mobility allows it to be easily relocated and used as needed. Mr. Kong also acknowledged NRCS President Ms. Urmila Khadka Bhandari and the entire NRCS team for their unwavering cooperation, emphasizing that their support was essential to the project’s success.

Kong further noted that the Nepal Red Cross Society remains one of KOICA’s longest-standing partners, with 23 volunteers having served across various NRCS offices, including 10 in Kaski alone. Looking ahead, he expressed confidence that the KOICA–NRCS partnership will continue to grow stronger and expressed his hope that the supported equipment will be utilized effectively, ensuring that no individual in Nepal suffers due to shortages of blood.

KOICA’s volunteer program is one of its main program aimed at contributing to the socio-economic development of partner countries at the grassroots level. KOICA dispatches Korean national volunteers to partner government organizations based on their expertise, knowledge, and experience. Each volunteer serves in Nepal for 1 year in various fields such as education, health, agriculture, tourism and ICT. Currently, 12 KOVs including 1 expert are actively engaged in various government offices under an agreement between the governments of Korea and Nepal.

People’s News Monitoring Service.

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