On the occasion of World Blood Donors Day 2019, in-vitro diagnostic company Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd. has unveiled ‘SAVIOUR’, a location-based blood donation app that is available free to everyone. The new app is likely to empower those who have the resources to acquire blood but lose out on timely help due to inadequate blood bank infrastructure.
According to WHO (World Health Organisation) estimates, blood donation by 1% of the population is the minimum needed to meet a country’s basic blood requirements. In 2016-17, India’s blood collection fell 15% over previous year, or 1.9 million units short of the 1% benchmark. The WHO norm, however, is based on global averages and does not take into account India-specific factors and disease burden.
As per industry reports, in 2016-17, over 6.57 lakh units of blood and its products were discarded. 50% of the wasted units was Plasma which has a longer shelf life as compared to whole blood and red blood cells that have to be used within 35 days. Blood donation app SAVIOUR connects patients to the nearest donors, and notifies the patient in real-time on the number of donors who accept the request. Additionally, it sends out notifications to the registered donors on the need for blood based on their type. Reminders sent by the app, ensure that the donors do not forget about their commitment.
Once a donation has been made, a donor is not advised to donate blood in the recovery period. At this time, the blood donation app goes into a precautionary dormant state, in order to ensure complete safety of the donor. Moreover, the app makes it very convenient for donors; they just need to check-in at the nearest hospital through the app, a step that helps save time and ensure credibility. Donors are incentivized with personal goodwill points, based on the number of donations and lives saved.
According to the company’s Chairman & Managing Director, Suresh Vazirani, ‘Blood donation app SAVIOUR’ has been developed with a vision to empower both, donors and patients, and to save them from unethical practices which have led to corruption and exploitation of the needy.
