World Blood Donors Day is observed every year on June 14 since 2004. It aims at creating awareness for the need for safe blood and blood products, and also to thank the selfless blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gesture. Technology has made blood donation easier and more convenient. Today, blood donation apps have helped save lives by connecting donors and seekers in times of need. Here is a list of five such apps that are encouraging people across India to become blood donors and help them connect with seekers in time.
Socialblood
Rating on Google Store: 4.8/5
The Socialblood app is an online blood bank. It enables a user to find nearby blood banks, create a blood request and find emergency blood donors in areas close by. It has a presence across India in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Vijayawada, Amritsar, Mumbai, Kochi, Kanpur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Goa, Surat, Ahmedabad, Madurai, Guntur, Ranchi, Lucknow, Agra, Ajmer, Bikaner, Rajkot, Srinagar, Shimla, Jammu and Dehradun. The app allows users to search for blood and platelets donors, receive requests from nearby seekers and fix appointments in blood banks. It also sends regular alerts about seekers to the registered donors and also find blood donors among one's Facebook friends.
Friends 2 Support
Rating on Google Store: 4.7/5
Friends2Support.org describes itself as the world’s largest voluntary blood donors’ organisation. Its services are available in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia and Yemen. Across the world the app has over 2,00,00 registered blood donors right now.A donor can register on the app by downloading it and generating an OTP with details of his blood group and location. The app also enables one to directly contact over call or SMS.
Simply Blood
Rating on Google Store: 4.7/5
Simply Blood is an online app to connect blood donors and seekers in just three steps. It also ensures the privacy of a blood donor. A blood donor can select any specific date and location to donate blood and find a suitable person who needs blood. It also runs a SimplyBlood Ambassador Program by which one can create awareness and encourage other to donate blood. The app also enables a user to link their accounts with their social media to find donors and seekers in their social networking circle.
Indian Blood Donors
Rating on Google Store: 4.4/5
The Indian Blood Donors app helps seeker meet donors. A blood donor can register on the app with their area code and blood group and reach out to the seekers in time. Indian Blood Donors was first launched as website in 1999 when its founders Khushroo and Fermin Pacha witnessed a local woman's death at the hospital due to blood loss and a lack of suitable blood donors.
Rakt Daan
Rating on Google Store: 4.3/5
Rakt Daan is an online blood-donation app founded by a Delhi-based couple Sanjay and Mridula Khatri supported by their friend Gurucharan. It is a virtual blood bank where anyone willing to donate blood can download the app and register with their name, blood-group and location. Whenever there is a need for a certain blood group, an automatic message is sent to all the relevant donors registered on the app, within a reach of 3-4 kms. Gurcharan in a conversation with Latestly, told us that they now have 15,000 people registered as blood donors on Rakt Daan. They are also member of rotary club and organise awareness camps regarding blood donation at several places.
If you also want to be a part of this noble cause, this World Blood Donors Day, you too can register on either one of these app or help seekers in need by making them aware of these online blood banks.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2018 03:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).