To meet the growing demand for blood across the country, the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion & Immunohaematology (ISBTI) an NGO has launched a new system to create electronic directory of blood donors for the first time in India.

The main objective of this new project is to bridge the gap between the availability and the demand for blood across the country. “As there is a growing scarcity for blood, the electronic database will help to bridge the gap between availability and demand. This is an innovative project launched for the first time in India, we are expecting to reach a target of one per cent population (Approx one crore) in the next three years,” said Sanjay Gupta, chief operating officer, ISBTI.

Dr Rajeev Joshi, director, HITECH Medical Informational Services Pvt Ltd, Pune in the collaboration with Netram Foundation, Delhi has developed a user friendly SMS System and the database directory.

Electronic directory of blood donors will help Blood Banks to store and maintain a minimum level of inventory of all blood groups. This will eventually eliminate emergencies and the burden on the patient and their attendants.

Even all the blood banks can register themselves to this electronic directory in the country and in turn all the blood banks can have their access to the electronic data base from all over the country. In this system donors as well as people who have not donated before can register with the service. To register, people need to just send a SMS BRAVO BLDDNR to +919246356765.

With this launch of innovative electronic data base, ISBTI is moving with a mission to achieve 100 per cent voluntary blood donation in the country and to attain quality standards in blood transfusion services.

The new system seems to really work well. On receiving the SMS the electronic registry will send one SMS asking donors blood group (ABO and Rh), age, sex, area, city with pin code number and number of donations. If one has donated before, the service will ask the donor date of last donation as well as preferred blood bank. Providing name and birth date are optional.

Gupta said, “When there is need of blood matching donors group at blood bank near your address the service will ask donor whether you are available for donation at that time. Some information regarding eligibility for donation is asked through SMS template. If donor is available and eligible to donate, he will be requested to donate at the blood bank.

If donor is not available, eligible, he or she will not be sent request for duration as per reason of non availability. This will help the service to get high success rate in donor search. Donor will not be called to donate within 4 months of date of last donation. This will help to avoid repeated calls to same donors again and again.

“The new service is fully automated and available 24×7 to all registered blood banks in the country free of cost. Before registering blood banks in to the system, ISBTI will ensure that safe blood practices are carried out in collection, storage and dissemination of blood,” added Gupta.

Very Soon ISBTI is also planning to launch a web portal in collaboration with HITCH and Netram Foundation. It will be India’s largest online database of blood donors.