The in-house built uniquely designed blood collection mobile bus by the Karnataka State Red Cross Society arrived at Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangalore on Sunday evening.

The well-furnished Volvo bus with all the modern facilities for blood collection from blood donors, is developed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore for collecting and storing blood, thus helping to meet the requirements during emergencies. ‘Blood mobile bus,’ as it is called, had arrived at Kundapur and Udupi from Bangalore for a two-day visit to be a part of a blood donation camp. On its way back to Bangalore, it arrived at Mangalore.

Explaining the way of functioning of the blood mobile bus, Karnataka Red Cross Blood Bank Technical Supervisor  H M Ashok who was part of the bus crew, said that the specially designed mobile blood bank bus has all necessary arrangements including seatings for donor registration, facility for medical examination, collection monitor and storage centre. The bus has the storage capacity of 240 units of blood. Other facilities include equipment for blood pressure checkup, data recording instrument, oven, four refrigerators (which can store 60 units of blood each), sound system, two televisions, toilet and air condition facility. The bus comprises of one medical officer, one staff nurse, two attenders and three technicians and a camp coordinator.

The bus was developed six months ago with an intention to collect blood whenever the need arises, without any preparation. The bus normally takes part in the blood donation camps in Bangalore and once in a while in other districts based on the request. The collected blood will undergo examination in the Bangalore Red Cross Blood Bank. Following the examination, blood will be either supplied to the government hospitals in various districts in case of the demand, or the blood will be supplied to the hospitals in Bangalore, said Red Cross Blood Bank Medical Officer Dr Nagaraj E. He said that the bus has been set up to meet the ever increasing requirement for blood against the less number of donors.

The bus has collected 112 units of blood at a blood donation camp organised at Kundapur on Sunday.

Bus in Udupi

The bus which arrived at Udupi on Saturday, for two-day run in the district, was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner Dr M T Reju on Saturday.

Karnataka Red Cross Society Vice Chairman Basrur Rajeev Shetty told Deccan Herald that “the purpose is to create awareness about blood donation among people. The bus operates as semi blood bank centre in which the amenities to remove blood by four donors at a time is available,” he explained.

The bus is sent only if there are possibilities of collection of at least 100 units of blood. The bus will have its stopovers in public areas and try to create awareness among people. The four refrigerators in the bus are exclusively used for blood storage.

The State government donated the bus for the exemplary work of Bangalore unit of Red Cross Society for collecting 22849 units of blood and there was no replacement. Around 10 blood banks from Red Cross Society are operating in Karnataka. Shetty added that Red Cross Society has put forth a demand before the government to sanction blood banks exclusively owned by Red Cross Society in each district other than government blood banks. The government should also allot blood storage center in all taluks. He said the government has sanctioned blood bank in Koppal, Yadgir, Ramnagar and Bangalore rural.

Further, Shetty said that in Udupi district, the blood bank is being constructed by Udupi district Red Cross Society in Kundapur. Besides, a donor has offered Rs 60 lakhs to build blood bank in Udupi. The construction work will begin shortly, he added.