New app to ensure blood donations meet demand

A GROUP of young entrepreneurs are developing a mobile application named First Blood to connect blood donors across the nation and ensure blood banks can meet demand.

Creator of the mobile app Meisur Hamid said the app will feature a virtual donor card, listing of blood donation drives and an alert system for emergencies and blood shortages.

“This is like a one-stop service for finding suitable blood donors during emergencies,” said Meisur, who is co-founder of startup Newgate Plus.

The Universiti Teknologi Brunei graduate said the First Blood system functions as a blood management system for blood centres and acts as an inventory.

The system’s attached application will allow users to interact with the blood bank, blood donors and those who need blood urgently, he said.

Meisur added that his team decided to develop the app as there were many cases where hospitals in the sultanate are short of a particular blood type.

“Upon signing up, information regarding the user’s eligibility to donate will be available once they complete the pre-screening test on the app, as well as information on the nearest blood drive event,” he said. Newgate Plus came in third place at the Ignite Entrepreneurship Challenge last year for its blood donation app, winning $10,000.

Amalina Ash’ari, one of the appdevelopers, said the app does not only aim to attract new donors but also targets existing donors to donate regularly in ensuring a constant inflow of blood supply. Some of the app’s features include information of frequently asked questions on blood donation, she said.

“Instead of just providing people who need blood with an outdated list of regular donors who may or may not be available to help, the app contacts the right people the moment they find out about the need (for blood),” said Amalina.

The Newgate Plus team is currently working with blood bank centres in the sultanate to test the app’s functions and features.

“Once finalised, we will be rolling out the app and will be connecting it with the blood centres’ system in Brunei. InsyaAllah we will launch it sometime later this year.”

Courtesy of The Brunei Times