Dialog upgrades 'SMS-Blood' platform

Sri Lanka's premier telecom service provider, Dialog Axiata PLC, enhanced its award-winning 'SMS-Blood' platform, which was presented to the Health Ministry under the auspices of Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena.

The upgrades include enhanced donor management and blood stock management systems for the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) in Colombo and in addition the new version will connect the head office with 18 regional blood collection centres islandwide using an Android App developed for this purpose. The telecom service provider also donated 18 Dialog Smart Tabs to the NBTS to be deployed at the regional blood banks.

Dialog subscribers can continue to register for blood donation via SMS, by simply typing REG (Space) BLOOD and sending to 770 with their Dialog mobile. Upon registering they can access the services provided by the National Blood Transfusion Service using their Dialog mobile by dialing #770#, and even locate the nearest blood donation centre and view their donation history.

The service was first launched in 2002, and it won a GSMA Global Award for the best use of wireless technology for emergency situations. The World Health Organisation chose Sri Lanka to host the global event for World Blood Donor Day 2014, which was commemorated at the BMICH in Colombo and donors from all over the country were felicitated at the event. The National Blood Transfusion Service in Sri Lanka was recognised as 100 per cent voluntary based donation recipient.