Blood bank on wheels

Chennai, June 18 (UNI) The city-based Lions Blood Bank has come out with an innovative scheme for collecting blood from donors at public places like community halls, spacious shopping malls and beach through a mobile blood bank in a state of art bus.

The bus, which has been moving around the city since September last, has so far collected 1279 units of blood.

Talking to UNI, chairman of the blood bank S Suresh Kumar said the Blood Mobile bus was purchased at a cost of Rs 48 lakh to facilitate spot collection of blood at public places, offices, educational institutions etc.

He said many donors expressed their inconvenience to reach the blood banks for blood donation. The work schedule and distance posed a hindrance. The Mobile Blood Bank is fully equipped with blood collection facilities, to go to the donor's place and collect blood, he added.

Claiming that this was first of its kind in the South India, he said Prathama Blood Bank in Ahmedabad was also rendering the same service. After consulting the authorities of the Prathama Blood Bank we had designed it ,he said.

He said the mobile blood bank could collect blood from four donors at a stretch and added that it was run by a team of professionals consisting of doctors, nurses and technical staff.

Asked about the response to this initiative, he said the donors were responding well, and added that they had started adequate awareness programmes on blood donation.

To a question, he said they were ready to send their mobile blood bank anywhere in the city.

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