Harsh Vardhan, union minister of Health and Family Welfare and chairman of Indian Red Cross Society launched the ‘eBloodServices’ mobile app developed by The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), on 25 June 2020 through a video conferencing.
This 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. Vardhan said, “In keeping with the people-centered vision of the prime minister, Digital India has now become an integral part of every person’s daily life. This blood donation app is an example of how the digital India scheme serves the need for accessing blood services”.
He added, “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 national headquarters (NHQ).” When the country is facing such a pandemic, the mobile app will aid to all those who direly require blood, he stated.
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. According to the press statement, this feature will make it easy for a blood seeker to obtain blood and shall bring the added advantage of complete transparency and single window access to the service.
Vardhan praised all the voluntary blood donors who have donated blood during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Red Cross has facilitated donations by voluntary blood donors by either providing transport or sending blood collection mobile vans for on-site blood donation. “Regular blood donation can prevent obesity, cardiac problems and many other ailments. Not just this, blood donation is also a spiritual path by which mankind can be served”, he added.
After the launch, Vardhan presided over the managing body meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society. Appreciating efforts of IRCS, he said, “IRCS has been performing a major role during Covid-19 pandemic alongside the Government, especially in maintaining adequate blood supply of safe blood by issuing passes to blood donors, organizing blood donation camps.”
All 89 IRCS blood banks and 1100 branches across the country have collected a staggering more than 1,00,000 units of blood through in house donations and from around 2000 blood donation camps organized during the lockdown period. Over 38,000 voluntary blood donors registered with NHQ Blood Bank have been contacted and motivated to donate blood.
