Ranchi: Patients in Jharkhand will soon be able to receive life-saving blood within four hours of making a request under a new emergency delivery system being introduced by the state govt. The initiative, designed to eliminate blood shortages across both govt and private hospitals, will feature a dedicated toll-free helpline and a centralized command centre based in Ranchi to coordinate operations statewide.To implement the service, the state department of health, medical education & family welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MS Science Company on Wednesday. The entire network is slated to become fully operational within the next 90 days.On the occasion, health minister Irfan Ansari said, “This is the first time such a system is being introduced in the state, with the aim of delivering blood within four hours of a patient’s call.”Under the agreement, the private agency will handle end-to-end management, including blood collection, testing, storage, maintenance, and delivery to recipient hospitals in accordance with prescribed medical standards.Additional chief secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said, “Blood will be gathered from rural regions as well as through organized drives involving the NCC, NSS, police personnel, and private donation camps.”National Health Mission (NHM) director Shashi Prakash Jha explained the administrative structure of the partnership. “The company will organize blood donation camps directly and manage all human resources, while the department provides technical support. Payment to the vendor will be structured strictly on a per-unit basis,” he said.
