J.J. Van Loghem Previously to this symposium, five others have taken
place in Groningen. The first one in 1976. This yearly scientific
happening has continued. It has greatly stimulated the in- terest in
blood transfusion and all allied disciplines in our country. It is clear
that these meetings are organized not only by a good scientist, but at
the same time by a gifted or- ganizer who, as director of the Red Cross
Blood Bank Gro- ningen-Drenthe, has shown that the heavy load of daily
routine work can very well be combined with a large amount of
experimental and clinical research in blood component therapy,
coagulation disorders, blood group genetics and serology, the latter in
cooperation with the Blood Group laboratory of the University Hospital
Groningen under the directorship of Dr. Van Dijk. All these activities
show how much a well-organized blood bank can contribute to a national
blood transfusion orga- nization.