Health ministry launches app to order blood in Delhi-NCR

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has launched ebloodservices app, in partnership with the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), for easy access to blood needed for transfusion.

Speaking to the media he said this was done after many complaints from people on lack of access to safe blood. “It will be beneficially in these corona times when travel has become a problem and those needing blood may not be able to go from one blood bank to another,” said Vardhan.

The minister said the app aims to make the blood donation programme transparent. “Voluntary blood donors should come forward in large numbers as their contribution is required more than ever now” he said.

To begin with, the app will cater to entire Delhi-NCR, and has the facility of placing an order for up to four units in one go.

Through this app, the availability of blood will be visible right in your phone. Once an order has been placed then the blood bank will keep the request active for 12 hours. The order will be diverted to the next patient only after the original recipient fails to collect it within 12 hours. – R K Jain, Secretary Seneral, Indian Red Cross Society

There are plans to link more blood banks to this app and launch it in other cities.

To meet the demand for blood in the city, the Red Cross blood bank had started conducting blood donation camps by sending mobile blood collection units to various localities in and around Delhi. The Red Cross blood bank was also offering pick and drop facility to voluntary blood donors.