Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Aiming to ensure appropriate and timely use of the blood units, the state-of-the-art Model Blood Bank at MY Hospital is planning to use tracking devices on every blood unit.
The radio frequency enabled device will help the blood bank to track every blood unit given to the attenders or the staff of the hospital and to get details of the conditions in which it is stored.
“It is necessary to maintain a particular temperature to store the blood unit and also to ensure its appropriate and timely use. We are planning to install the devices on each blood bag,” HoD of Transfusion Medicine Dr Ashok Yadav said.
He added the blood bank will monitor the temperature, safety and location of blood on its computer screen. “This tracking device will be connected to the blood bank through a radio frequency system. With this, it will also be possible to find out how long the blood sent from the blood bank took to reach where and how much time it took to be transfused to the patient,” Dr Yadav said.
Each tracking device would be single-use and will cost about Rs 20-40 each.
“The cost of the tracking device will be added with the cost of the blood bag. Indore’s blood bank would become the first government blood bank to have the facility which is being used in bigger institutions,” Dr Yadav said.
According to the guidelines, the blood bag is always kept in the refrigerator at the prescribed temperature for safety. The risk of blood damage increases at high temperatures. After taking it out from the refrigerator, the blood should reach the patient within half an hour. If the blood remains out of the fridge for longer than this, the patient's life may be in danger.
The hospital provides over 150 to 200 blood bags to the patients across Indore and Ujjain Divisions every day.
