Harsh Vardhan launches app for blood services

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday launched the ''eBloodServices'' mobile app developed by the Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS).




The application is developed by the E-Raktkosh team of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) under the Digital India scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.




At the event, held through a video conferencing, Harsh Vardhan, who is the chairman of IRCS, said the mobile app will provide succour to all those who direly require blood at a time when the country is facing the Covid-19 pandemic.




"Many people require blood related services regularly because of certain medical conditions in their families. Through this App, four units of blood can be requisitioned at a time and the blood bank will wait for as long as 12 hours for the person to collect it.




"This app makes it easy for those in need to request for blood units at IRCS NHQ," the Minister said.




Once the request is placed through the App, the requisite units become visible to IRCS'' NHQ blood bank in its E-Raktkosh dashboard and this allows assured delivery within the specified time.




This feature will make it easy for a blood seeker to obtain blood and will bring added advantage of complete transparency and single window access to the service.




Urging people to become voluntary blood donors, the Minister said that regular blood donation can prevent obesity, cardiac problems and many other ailments.




All 89 IRCS blood banks and 1,100 branches across the country have collected a staggering more than one lakh units of blood through in-house donations and from around 2,000 blood donation camps organised during the lockdown period, a Health Ministry statement said.




Also, more than 38,000 voluntary blood donors registered with NHQ Blood Bank have been contacted and motivated to donate blood, it said. The NHQ Blood Bank conducted 55 blood donation camps collecting 2,896 units of blood. A total of 5,221 units were collected during the lockdown period.




Blood has been issued to 7,113 patients, including 2,923 thalassaemic patients as well as to Government hospitals such as AIIMS Delhi (378 units) and Lady Hardinge (624 units). Also, IRCS has served more than 3 crore cooked meals, and provided ration to more than 11 lakh families.