Computer network to link blood donors and hospitals

PENANG, Sun. - A service club will pool its resources to form a computer
networking system linking hospitals and blood donors in an organised and
continous structure.
  The Bloodlink is a community service project conceptualised by the Lions
Club of Georgetown Island. It will be implemented in the first quarter of
the year.
  By applying advanced information technology, Bloodlink will serve as a
linkage between blood donors and Penang Hospital so as to save time,
manpower and, most of all, the donated blood.
  For the time being the programme will be confined to the island. Later,
it would be extended to the whole State and eventually linked to Lions
clubs nationwide.
  Club treasurer and project head Chuah Gim Chuan said the "intelligent
computerised data processing system" would trace information about the
donor such as blood type, eligibility, availability for blood donation and
frequency of donations made. It will also have vital information like the
requirements of the hospital.
  "The pledged donors will only donate their blood as and when the need
arises. This system will be more efficient in terms of time and manpower
management and will optimise the efficient use of the donated blood," he
said during the launch of Bloodlink at Novotel last night.
  The event was officiated by State Youth and Sports Committee chairman
Koay Kar Hwa, representing Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
  The system is sponsored by Globetronics Sdn Bhd. The prototype of the
software will be running by late February or early March.
  He said through the Bloodlink system donors would be linked to the
Penang Hospital via telephone lines. Later, this link would be extened to
private hospitals such as Lam Wah Ee, Gleneagles and Mount Miriam.
  Apart from linking hospitals and donors, the objective of the Bloodlink
project is also to educate the public about blood donation by holding
public talks, road shows, exhibitions through the Internet, PenangNet and
the media.
  Among the key features of Bloodlink software, said Chuah, was the
defaulting function which would reject potential donor applicants who
failed the qualification requirements, including being under-aged and
under-weight. It has an automatic "trigger-remind-notify" feature to
remind donors to turn up at a specific date.
  The software will also divide donors according to their blood group. The
Bloodlink operator will co-ordinate the appointment for the donor with the
receiving organisation.
  Speaking to the Press later, club president Tan Chin Kon said the club
hoped to have a Bloodlink Homepage on the Internet by May. It will also be
on the PenangNet once that was launched.
                               

sources;

James.A,(1997 JANUARY 13). Computer network to link blood donors and hospitals. New Straits Times.