India to Integrate Rare Blood Donor Registry with e-Rakt Kosh

Context:
The Government of India is planning to integrate a Rare Blood Donor Registry with the existing e-Rakt Kosh platform, aiming to streamline rare blood transfusion services and enhance access to life-saving resources across the country.

Key Highlights

• The integration aims to create a centralized digital repository of individuals with rare blood groups, accessible to hospitals, blood banks, and emergency services.
• The e-Rakt Kosh portal, managed by the National Health Mission under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, already tracks blood stock levels and donor availability.
• The rare blood donor registry will help match patients needing rare phenotypes (like Bombay blood group) with registered donors nationwide.
• The initiative is particularly significant for patients with hematological disorders, multiple transfusion needs, or those undergoing organ transplants.

What are Rare Blood Groups?

• Blood groups that are less than 1 in 1000 in a given population are termed rare.
• Examples: Bombay blood group (hh phenotype), Rh null, Kell-negative, and Duffy-negative blood types.
• Patients requiring these groups often face critical delays or failures in finding compatible donors.

Benefits of the Integration

• Faster response in emergency transfusion cases.
• Improved inter-state coordination of rare blood availability.
• Support for bone marrow transplant units, oncology hospitals, and rare disease treatment centers.
• Strengthens digital health infrastructure under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Relevance for UPSC

Prelims:

• e-Rakt Kosh portal
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Bombay blood group
• National Blood Policy, 2007

Mains (GS Paper 2 & 3):

• Public health infrastructure and digital health
• Use of ICT in healthcare delivery
• Blood donation and voluntary health participation
• Ethical challenges in organ and blood donation

Sample MCQ

Q. The integration of India’s Rare Blood Donor Registry with the e-Rakt Kosh platform is primarily aimed at:
A. Reducing the cost of organ transplantation
B. Eliminating all blood-borne diseases
C. Streamlining access to rare blood types for transfusion
D. Preventing black marketing of plasma during pandemics

Answer: C

Explanation:
The integration is designed to centralize data and ease access to rare blood groups for patients across India, enhancing emergency response and treatment.