Timely Geographic Access to Blood Banking Facilities: A Pan-India Modeling Study

BackgroundEfficient blood transfusion planning requires knowledge of the distribution and accessibility of blood banking facilities (BBFs). We mapped population-level, timely geographic access to BBFs across 729 districts across India. Study Design and MethodsWe conducted a pan-India geospatial modeling study using 2024 data from e-RaktKosh, a centralized blood management system. As outcomes, we estimated BBFs per million people, travel time to the nearest BBF, and access population coverage (APC), defined as the proportion of the population with access to the nearest BBF by motorized transport (60 minutes) and walking (30 minutes). ResultsIn 2024, India had 5685 BBFs, averaging 4.16 facilities per million people. Median travel times to the nearest BBF were 35.25 minutes by motorized transport and 253.27 minutes by walking. For APCs, 93.86% of people were within 60 minutes of their nearest BBF by motorized transport, while 16.21% were within 30 minutes by walking. There were large differences in APCs across districts and states, with notable rural-urban disparities. DiscussionAccess to blood banking facilities in India exhibits geographic disparities, with the northeastern and island Union Territories with prolonged median travel times and low APC values. Rural areas are disproportionately adversely affected. Future efforts should focus on using timely geographic access data to inform strategic infrastructure planning and resource allocation, enhancing healthcare equity.