New Delhi: A mobile application that would enable people to access "safe blood" easily, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, was launched by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday.
Developed by the E-Raktkosh team of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) under the Digital India scheme, the application will bring transparency and facilitate single-window access to blood services of the Indian Red Cross Society, officials said.
"In the last few months, I received several complaints from people facing difficulties in accessing safe blood. 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 12 hours for the person to collect it," Vardhan said.
"At a time when the country is going through a pandemic, the mobile app will provide succour to all those who are in dire need of blood," the health minister said.
Users with this app can know the live status of blood availability at the national headquarters of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) blood bank in Delhi.
Once a request is placed through the app, the requisite units become visible to national headquarters blood bank in its e-Raktkosh dashboard and this allows assured delivery within the specified time, the health ministry said in a statement.
The stock status of other Red Cross Blood Banks in the country is also visible in the app. It would also facilitate voluntary blood donation through its camp search feature that allows users to know the venue and time of scheduled camps nearby, officials said.
Urging people to donate blood, Vardhan said that any person below the age of 65 can give blood as many as four times a year.
