title: First report of the impact on voluntary blood donation by the blood mobile from India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The blood mobile is one of the modern methods of mobile blood collection facility funded through the third phase of National AIDS Control Programme by the National Blood Transfusion Council of India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of data in relation to the blood mobile was carried out with respect to the number of blood donation camps, number of blood units collected, adverse donor reactions, and the expenditure that occurred during the blood collection in the blood mobile from 1(st) January 2012 to 30(th) June 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 64, 84 and 62 blood donation camps conducted in the blood mobile with collection of 3301, 5166 and 2842 blood units during 2012, 2013 and the first half of 2014. The percentage of voluntary blood collection in blood mobile was 8.5% in 2012, increased to 12.4% in 2013 and stands at 14.39% in the first half of 2014. The difference in the means of the adverse donor reactions in the blood mobile and the outdoor camps was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The blood mobile is definitely an asset as far as augmentation of voluntary blood donation is concerned, ensures stable collection of blood for better provision of blood and blood components. However the facility requires a comprehensive annual maintenance with incorporation of onsite quick response team both from the manufacturer of the vehicle, and the blood collection equipments. Adequate provision of funding for operational expenditure would in turn facilitate optimum utilization of this facility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Suchet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachdev
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Lakhvinder
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marwaha
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Ratti Ram
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Divjot Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lamba
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Puneet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sachdeva
keywords: Blood mobile; National AIDS Control Organization; National Blood Transfusion Council