Next year on, patients scheduled to undergo surgeries or medical procedures may not have to run around to arrange blood for transfusion. In the first such project in the country, the state will roll out a ‘blood on call’ service, where such patients can get blood through a dedicated helpline.
Health minister Suresh Shetty said they were planning to launch the ‘Jeevan Amrut’ scheme on December 26 in Maharashtra.
The scheme envisages transportation of blood and blood components on motorcycle to hospitals and nursing homes while maintaining the cold chain. The state has undertaken two pilot projects in this regard, the first in Satara in February, followed by Sindhudurg in May. Hospitals have to register themselves for linkage with the blood storage centres and provide details, such as annual requirement of blood.
“We are trying to commission the project by December-end,” said a senior official of the Maharashtra State Blood Transfusion Council (MSBTC). “This will remove the patients and their relatives from the system and reduce the trouble caused to them for procuring blood,” he added, saying the request for blood will have to placed by the hospitals.
There will be eight blood storage centres in Mumbai, which has around 1,400 hospitals and nursing homes. These centres will be located at the JJ blood bank, the MbPT and railway hospitals, Shatabdi hospital (Kandivli), VN Desai hospital, Malwani, Vasai and Mulund.
“Once the project stabilises, we will also be able to compile a directory of donors with negative blood groups who account for a lower percentage in the population,” the official said.
The official added that once the hospitals placed the request by calling the number, the blood sample of the patient will be taken from the hospital by personnel of the agency appointed for the purpose, who will also deliver the blood to the hospital once the sample is cross-matched.
In Sindhudurg, a total of 18 hospitals have registered for the scheme and around 199 bottles have been delivered, while in Satara, 245 bottles have been delivered at the 44 registered hospitals.
The patients have to pay cost recovery charge of Rs450, plus Rs50 as transportation cost. The hospitals have to sign agreements saying they won’t overcharge patients for the blood.
Of the 90 blood storage centres planned across Maharashtra, around 40 have been completed; work on the rest is underway and the council plans to eventually set up 200 centres.
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