New Delhi (NVI): Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today launched the eBloodServices mobile app in partnership with the Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS), for easy access to blood needed for blood transfusion especially in the time of coronavirus pandemic, via video conference.
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.
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. The app’s scope will be expanded in future, with plans of linking more blood banks to it and also in other cities.
Harsh Vardhan said, “Many people require blood related services on regular basis 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 is a useful app and there are plans of expanding its reach gradually,” the Health Minister added.
Once the request is placed through the app, the requisite units will become visible to IRCS, NHQ blood bank in its E-Raktkosh dashboard and will allow assured delivery within the specified time. This feature will make it easy for a blood seeker to obtain blood & shall bring the added advantage of complete transparency & single window access to the service.
Harsh Vardhan furthermore praised all the voluntary blood donors who have donated blood during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
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.
After the launch, Vardhan also presided over the managing body meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society.
There, he said the IRCS has been playing a major role during COVID-19 pandemic alongside the government, especially in maintaining an adequate supply of safe blood by issuing passes to donors and organizing donation camps, according to a Health Ministry statement.
-CHK
