Timely geographic access to blood banking facilities: A pan‐India modelling study

BACKGROUND: Efficient 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 735 districts across India. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a pan-India geospatial modelling study using 2024 data from e-RaktKosh, a centralised 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 motorised transport (60 min) and walking (30 min). RESULTS: In 2024, India had 5679 BBFs, averaging 4.13 facilities per million people. Median travel times to the nearest BBF were 35.25 min by motorised transport and 253.27 min by walking. For APCs, 93.86% of people were within 60 min of their nearest BBF by motorised transport, while 16.21% were within 30 min by walking. There were large differences in APCs across districts and states, with notable rural-urban disparities. DISCUSSION: Access to blood banking facilities in India exhibits geographic disparities, with the northeastern states and island Union Territories having 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.