I had the opportunity to lead the pre-test and field monitoring activities with my team for the quantitative component of the national assessment project titled “Assessment of Public and Private Blood Transfusion Services under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)”, implemented by the CoE-HS&UHC at BRAC JPGSPH, in collaboration with WHO Bangladesh.
Pre-Test Supervision – 6 October 2024
I was responsible for overseeing the pre-test of quantitative tools conducted at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, Gazipur. The purpose was to validate and refine the tools and XLSForm-based ODK tools (used via KoboCollect) prior to full-scale deployment.
During the pre-test:
- I directly supervised data collection using the facility assessment tool, blood donor exit interview, and blood recipient exit interview forms.
- I reviewed tool logic, skip patterns, question clarity, and interviewer usability in real-time.
- I helped identify and resolve field-level challenges related to data completeness, consent-taking, and respondent coordination.
- Based on the pre-test insights, we finalized the tools and field logistics plan for nationwide data collection.
Data Collection Period:
Following the pre-test, the national data collection began on 22 October 2024 and continued through December 2024. I was actively involved in field monitoring across multiple sites to ensure data quality control, consistency, and compliance with ethical standards.
Monitoring Responsibilities Included:
- On-site supervision of data collection at a wide range of public and private blood transfusion facilities, including government hospitals, private hospitals, standalone blood banks, and Red Crescent Blood Centres.
- Supporting teams in navigating challenges with facility record access, including donor deferrals, discarded units, and data on license status or fee allocation.
- Ensuring critical sections such as infrastructure, blood stock, screening equipment, and staffing, were accurately documented.
- Verifying implementation of correct survey skip patterns and adherence to tool structure.
- Conducting real-time troubleshooting and feedback loops to improve data integrity.
Sites Monitored: Dhaka, Gazipur, Chattogram, Jessore, Khulna, Cox’s Bazar and others
This field experience not only strengthened my expertise in digital data systems and health facility-based surveys, but also deepened my understanding of operational realities in assessing blood transfusion services across a wide range of healthcare settings in Bangladesh.
Grateful to have contributed to this national-level assessment.
