TOI: This state-of-the-art blood bank will have a robotic arm to test samples: June 13, 2008

This state-of-the-art blood bank will have a robotic arm to test samples

Mumbai: The most high-tech blood bank in town is all set for inauguration. The Metropolitan Blood Bank, located in the sprawling JJ Hospital complex in Byculla, will feature a robotic arm putting a blood sample through a battery of tests to diagnose whether it is safe. Instead of a lab technician adding regeants to the sample, the arm would introduce probes into it. If the sample tests positive for HIV, the arm will stick a biohazardous label on it, says Dr Sanjay Jadhav, who as the head of the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) is in charge of the blood bank.

Scheduled to open in the first week of July, the state government is dubbing the state-of-the-art unit as the first community-based blood bank. The logic being that while most blood banks are attached to hospitals and cater to their own patient pool, this one will focus on the needs of the patients admitted at nursing homes and those who are from outstation. Just walk in with your demand, pay a nominal cost and get the precious commodity, says a senior health department official.

Built at a budget of Rs 4.5 crore, the blood bank will have a backbone of 30 computers.

If the blood supply situation is better in Mumbai than in other metros and cities of India, it is such high-tech innovations that have helped. The SBTC has a comprehensive website listing out the blood supply (and their groups) in over 60 blood banks across the state. On Wednesday night, I got an SMS stating that a child needed Anegative blood. I simply checked the website and replied that the required blood was available at KEM, Nair, Hiranandani Hospitals, etc, says Dr Jadhav, adding that there is no need to panic.

On the anvil is a palmtop that can be used by nursing homes to find out the SBTCs blood supply situation. Work on the palmtop has been going on for the past five months. Once it is connected to the computer via the phone lines, it will show the nursing home just which blood bank they can approach for the required blood group, said Dr Jadhav.

And for people who believe that birthday parties are meaningfully spent by donating blood, then the Metropolitan Blood Banks computer studio will print out a special scroll of honour for the volunteer donor. Luring blood donors too has never been so assisted.

Banking on technology

* The blood bank will be located in Bycullas JJ Hospital complex
* Scheduled to open in July
* You can walk in with your demand, pay a nominal cost and get blood
* Built at a budget of Rs 4.5 crore, the blood bank will have a backbone of 30 computers.
* On the anvil is a palmtop that can be used by nursing homes to find out the State Blood Transfusion Council s blood supply situation.

MOBILE HELP AT HAND

On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, the state government will inaugurate a mobile blood donation van. The yellow vancustomised at Rs 35 lakhcan seat four donors and can be used for blood collection drives in various colonies and offices, say SBTC officials. It can be parked at the Gateway of India or the Chowpatty on holidays. It will also travel to Nanded for the celebrations of the 300-year-old gurudwara. We will surely get many donors in the week, said Dr Sanjay Jadhav of SBTC.