Smaller blood banks,First Referral Units in rural areas to be included in database at a later stage The non-availability of blood units of the correct group often puts the families of patients at odds. But now,finding the required blood group could just be a click away. The Gujarat State Council for Blood Transfusion (GSCBT) is in the process of developing a state-wide blood bank directory for easy access to blood groups along with a list of donors. GSCBT had started the initiative as a pilot project last year. But of the 147 blood banks across the state,only about 80 were found regularly reporting on their status. Ideally,patients are entitled to blood security,as the onus of providing blood lies with the hospital. Non-availability of blood is a major setback in emergency cases like road accidents or delivery cases in the tribal areas, said Dr Rajesh Gopal,Joint Director,GSCBT. The new database will ensure the availability of blood units within the city or the district,as also keep track on the availability of the uncommon blood groups in any blood bank across the state. Apart from the 147 blood banks,GSCBT later aims to add on the smaller blood bank centres at the First Referral Units in the tribal areas by creating a proper network. The bigger blood banks should report every alternate day while the other banks should give an update every fortnight. We are in the process of finalising the details that the website should have. We have also sought the help of IIM-A experts in developing a user friendly software and expect the website to be up by March next year, said Gopal. The website will have a district-wise list of donors,he added. We already have a list of people in certain cities like Surat,Ahmedabad and Rajkot who actively take part in blood donation camps. We want to carry out the activity in all the cities and create an association of donors whom we can depend on in times of urgency, Gopal said.
