Timely geographic access to blood banking facilities: A pan-India modelling study

Area of Science:

• Geospatial health analysis
• Public health infrastructure assessment
• Blood banking systems research

Background:

• Efficient blood transfusion services rely on understanding blood banking facility (BBF) distribution and accessibility.
• Mapping population-level access to BBFs is essential for effective transfusion planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a pan-India geospatial analysis of population access to blood banking facilities (BBFs).
• To identify disparities in BBF accessibility across districts and states in India.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 2024 data from e-RaktKosh, a centralized blood management system, for a geospatial modeling study.
• Estimated BBFs per million people, travel times (motorized and walking), and access population coverage (APC) within defined timeframes.
• Defined APC as the proportion of the population within 60 minutes by motorized transport and 30 minutes by walking to the nearest BBF.

Main Results:

• India had 5679 BBFs in 2024, averaging 4.13 facilities per million people.
• Median travel times to the nearest BBF were 35.25 minutes (motorized) and 253.27 minutes (walking).
• 93.86% of the population had motorized access within 60 minutes, while only 16.21% had walking access within 30 minutes, with significant rural-urban and regional disparities.

Conclusions:

• Significant geographic disparities in blood banking facility access exist in India, particularly affecting northeastern states, island territories, and rural populations.
• Prolonged travel times and low access population coverage (APC) highlight inequities in blood service accessibility.
• Timely geographic access data should guide infrastructure planning and resource allocation to improve healthcare equity in blood transfusion services.