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Actor <keyword id="15261" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonu-Sood">Sonu Sood</keyword> is going to launch what is expected to be <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s biggest <keyword id="47073" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Blood">blood</keyword> bank, through an <keyword id="235499" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="APP">app</keyword> named <keyword id="6367950" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="sonu">Sonu</keyword> For You. The app aims at connecting donors to those in urgent need of blood. As per the app, a donee can reach out to donors, and on receiving a request a donor can immediately reach the hospital and donate blood. Already being hailed as the country's biggest blood bank, Sonu For You promises to help patients with rare blood groups. Sonu tells IANS: "Sonu For You was conceived by me and my friend, Johnson. Every time someone needs blood on an urgent basis and we share the same on social media, we receive responses from many. So we thought, why not come with an app that serves the same purpose?"He adds: "Going to a blood bank to search for a certain blood group can take a long time especially in cases of rare blood groups. Every year, 12000 patients in India die due to lack of donated blood. With this app, we want to convey the message that our 20 minutes can save someone's life." The actor has been expanding relief work in different sectors of society. It started with his work for migrants during lockdown. He also started distribution of e-rickshaws among the underprivileged. Sonu has started online classes, too, for children who cannot afford technology. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indian-companies-stand-to-lose-7-14-lakh-crore-to-climate-change-but-they-could-end-up-making-2-9-lakh-crore-too/articleshow/81306789.cms">Indian companies stand to lose ₹7.14 lakh crore to climate change — but they could end up making ₹2.9 lakh crore too</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-redmi-note-10-mobile-to-launch-soon-in-india-checkout-price-and-specifications/articleshow/81307291.cms">Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series to launch soon – specs, price and everything you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/paypal-which-had-shut-down-domestic-operations-in-india-now-plans-to-hire-1000-engineers/articleshow/81307572.cms">PayPal, which had shut down domestic operations in India, now plans to hire 1,000 engineers</a>

Sonu Sood to launch blood bank app to connect donors with those in urgent need of blood

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Covid-19 pandemic exposed <keyword id="398531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blood-shortage" source="Orion">blood shortage</keyword> across many Indian states, and this situation arose despite many good Samaritans repeatedly stepping forward to donate their <keyword id="47073" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blood" source="Orion">blood</keyword>. On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, the health professionals underscored the need to highlight the shortcomings and improve infrastructure and network of blood banks across India. According to some reports, India needs 15 million units of blood each year but manages to collect only 11 million units, a deficit of 4 million units. It is also estimated that nearly 12,000 individuals die in India each day, due to non-availability of <keyword id="14189944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="quality-blood" source="Orion">quality blood</keyword>. While this is one side of the coin, the other side indicates that India wastes about 6.5 lakh units of blood and blood components each year, due to lack of proper storage facilities. Many doctors are raising their voices on the urgent need to address this major concern in the society. Women suffering from bleeding during pregnancy or at childbirth, women and children suffering from anemia due to malnutrition, victims of trauma, etc., all need blood or/and blood-related products like plasma or platelets. "Each day India needs large quantities of blood to treat many patients undergoing surgery or getting treatment for various forms of cancers. While there is a shortage of quality blood in the country, large quantities of it gets wasted when it cannot be transfused to a patient, within the right time, and in the right means. Key factors leading to donated blood wastage lack of proper storage facilities, leakages, contamination, testing delays due to manpower issues etc. All these problems can be addressed and must be resolved to ensure we emerge into a healthy India," said Dr. Pradeep Panigrahi, Medical Director, SLG Hospitals. "Some reports suggest that India does not have even a single well-managed blood bank in at least 63 districts as of September 2020. This lack of blood banks facility also adds to the healthcare delivery burden, resulting in loss of lives in emergency situations like trauma/accidents. Many individual hospitals are striving hard to ensure there is a proper supply of quality blood to those in need; but the network of blood banks must grow in numbers to ensure we address this concern," observes Dr. Satwinder Singh Sabharwal, COO, Aware Gleneagles Global Hospital. Highlighting the need for a policy, Dr. Kishore B. Reddy, Managing Director, Amor Hospitals said: "State and Union Governments have enhanced allocations to the healthcare sector in their annual budgets and are striving hard to improve the last mile delivery of quality healthcare services." He believes the state and the union governments should bring out a policy that will ensure creation of more blood banks, even in remote parts of the country. This, he said, will ensure supply of safe blood and also ensure blood transfusion related risks are addressed well. "While there are many kind-hearted Samaritans who step forward to donate their blood on a regular basis, there is a need to enhance awareness on blood donation, which is a healthy practice. There is always a dearth of rare blood groups like AB negative, A negative, B negative, AB positive, and Bombay blood group; and there should a special focus on ensure people with these rare groups consider donating their blood regularly, concluded Dr. Sailesh Singhi, Senior Hematologist and Blood bank Incharge, Century Hospital. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ai-can-now-detect-early-stage-glaucoma-diabetic-retinopathy-and-other-eye-conditions/articleshow/92194366.cms" style="">AI can now detect early stage glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/iit-guwahati-develops-a-prosthetic-leg-for-indians-who-want-to-squat-and-sit-cross-legged/articleshow/92179790.cms" style="">IIT Guwahati develops a prosthetic leg for Indians who want to squat and sit cross-legged</a>

Nearly 12,000 individuals die every day due to lack of quality blood

<ul><li>The Covid-19 pandemic has created a <keyword id="3877083" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="SHORTAGE-OF-BLOOD">shortage of blood</keyword> in <keyword id="76492" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="blood-banks">blood banks</keyword> across India, affecting thalassemia patients amongst others.</li><li>To overcome this, blood banks can now use social media to connect with blood donors on Facebook and Twitter.</li><li>The Indian Red Cross has also set up dedicated helplines to connect blood donors with those who need blood.</li></ul>Blood banks across the country have started leveraging Facebook to fulfill their blood requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic. Facebook currently has over 40 million registered blood donors on its platform. Social distancing requirements and lockdown have made it difficult for voluntary donors to donate blood during these times. Administrations in <a href="https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2020/03/28/maharashtra-faces-shortage-of-blood-supply-due-to-covid-19-scare.html">Maharashtra</a>, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-thalassemia-patients-hit-as-blood-donors-face-hurdles/articleshow/74909457.cms">Karnataka</a> and <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/dms-dcps-to-help-run-blood-donation-cycle/articleshow/75212708.cms">Delhi</a> have reported a shortage of blood during the lockdown. Some of the people worst hit by the lockdown are thalassemia patients who need blood transfusion every two weeks. Thalassemia patients inherit a blood disorder at birth, which leads to a severe shortage of hemoglobin. Due to this, patients feel weak and blood transfusions are their lifeline. How are blood banks using social media during the lockdown? Facebook has a <keyword id="34872" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="blood-donation">blood donation</keyword> tool that can be used by blood donors as well as recipients. Facebook connects the donors with recipients based on the location and the blood type. On its part, Facebook has reached out to blood banks across the country to connect them with the donors registered on its platform. In Mumbai, the social media company collaborated with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to onboard blood banks on its blood donation tool. It also worked with the Gujarat State Council for Blood Transfusion to virtually train blood banks across the state. As a result, Navkar Charitable Trust, one of the participants, received 110 units of blood in three days. How to donate blood during lockdown? Using the <keyword id="5285154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook-blood-donation">Facebook blood donation</keyword> tool <div type="image" title="Facebook Blood Donation tool" msid="75408092" hostid="261"></div> Using the Facebook blood donation tool is easy. <ul><li>If you want to donate blood, go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/blooddonations/register/">this page</a> and sign up.</li><li>If you want to find blood donors, go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/blooddonations/find/">this page</a> and enter details like location, blood group and your phone number.</li></ul>Using Twitter While Twitter does not seem to have a dedicated blood donation tool like Facebook, there are groups like <a href="https://twitter.com/BloodDonorsIn">@BloodDonorsIn</a> that connect blood donors with those in need of blood. To donate or request blood, simply tweet to <a href="https://twitter.com/BloodDonorsIn">@BloodDonorsIn</a> and they will get back to you with the required details. Via the Indian Red Cross Indian Red Cross has set up helplines for blood donors and those who need blood. All you have to do is call on these 24x7 helpline numbers and mention your requirement – 011-23359379, 93199 82104, 93199 82105. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/969-units-of-blood-donated-in-mizoram-during-lockdown/articleshow/75355844.cms">969 units of blood donated in Mizoram during lockdown</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/as-covid-19-interrupts-blood-donation-govt-issues-guidelines-for-safe-blood-collection/articleshow/75071569.cms">As COVID-19 interrupts blood donation, govt issues guidelines for safe blood collection</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/facebook-and-tamil-nadu-government-partner-for-blood-donation/articleshow/71392751.cms">Tamil Nadu government asks hospitals to use Facebook’s blood donation feature</a>

Blood banks are leveraging Facebook to fulfill their blood requirements from 40 million donors

<keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s largest bank <keyword id="6354731" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india">State Bank of India</keyword> (SBI) has released the <keyword id="88357" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Admit-card">admit card</keyword> for its prelims exam on its official site. It has also put out the self declaration form along with SBI Clerk Prelims Admit Card 2021 for the post of Clerk (Junior Associate). All the candidates who have applied for the SBI Clerk post can download the admit card from <a href="https://sbi.co.in/">https://sbi.co.in/</a>. The exam is scheduled to be held on 13 July 2021. Candidates should remember to take a photocopy of their identity as well as the <keyword id="2166631" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="call-letter">call letter</keyword> to the exam hall. You can download the call letter<a href="https://ibpsonline.ibps.in/sbijascapr21/clpeta_may21/login.php?appid=446c439024467117c52ef46db9717009"> here</a>. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 8pt 0pt;">Syllabus for the exam:</h2>English Language Reasoning Ability Numerical Ability Reading Comprehension (including questions on antonym and synonyms) Cloze Test Phrases and Idioms Fill in the Blanks Spelling Error/Error Detection One word Substitution Alphanumeric/Numeric Series Coding-Decoding Word Formation Venn Diagram Analogy Data Sufficiency Direction and <keyword id="6382725" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="distance">Distance</keyword> Blood Relations Verbal reasoning Non-Verbal Reasoning Syllogism Input-Output Data Interpretation (Pie charts, Table chart, Bar Graphs, Line charts) Number System Quadratic Equation Simplification Approximation HCF and LCM of Numbers Speed, Distance and Time Simple Interest and Compound Interest Averages Percentages Ratio and Proportion Problems based on age Time and work Problem on ages Sentence Correction Error Detection Para jumbles/Sentence rearrangements Irrelevant Statements Reasoning Ability Puzzles - Seating Arrangement Circle-based Box-based Square-based <h1 style="line-height:1.44;border-bottom:solid #eeeeee 0.75pt;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;background-clip:padding-box;padding:0pt 0pt 11.25pt 0pt;"></h1>

SBI Clerk Admit Card 2021 -- here's a download link and sneak peek into the syllabus

<ul><li>India has decided to partially lift the ban on the export of the ‘wonder drug’ <keyword id="4751090" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hydroxychloroquine">Hydroxychloroquine</keyword>, an anti-malaria drug that is used to treat <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword>. </li><li>The move comes as the US President Donald Trump appealed to the Indian government for an urgent supply of the drugs. </li><li>Trump said that he was unaware of the development and didn’t “like that decision.” </li><li>Scientists and experts are still uncertain of its impact in controlling Coronavirus in particular, though it is effective against viral infections in general. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coronavirus&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Follow the comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact, and other useful resources that can help you in the fight on Business Insider India.</a></li></ul>India has decided to partially lift the ban on the export of the ‘wonder drug’ Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that is used to treat Coronavirus. <a href="https://theprint.in/diplomacy/india-partially-lifts-ban-on-export-of-hydroxychloroquine-hours-after-trumps-threat/396792/">According to</a> a report by ThePrint, both paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine will be supplied to ‘clear the existing orders’. While all other medicines under the ‘free’ category will also be shipped now. The move comes after the US President Donald Trump appealed to the Indian government for an urgent supply of those two drugs and even warned of a retaliation. India had banned the export of hydroxychloroquine recently after its own cases rose. However, Trump said that he was unaware of the development and didn’t “like that decision.” Trump believes that the combination of two drugs — antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine — a ‘game changer’ for treating Coronavirus. It works for virals but can it cure Covid-19? Though Trump has called this drug ‘a gift from heaven’, most scientists and experts have their doubts of its impact in controlling Coronavirus in particular. It is however effective against viral infections in general. <div type="image" title="corona2" msid="74809541" hostid="261"></div> India too seems to be banking on the drug. "Hydroxy-chloroquine is found to be effective against Coronavirus in laboratory studies and in-vivo studies. Its use in prophylaxis is derived from the available evidence of benefit as treatment and supported by preclinical data," IANS reported citing the advisory by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. International experts however are divided. David Sullivan, professor of microbiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an infectious disease physician<a href="https://time.com/5808894/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus/"> believes that if the drug genuinely worked for Coronavirus infection</a>, the healthcare professionals would know it by now. “Right now we have no clinical evidence that it works,” he said. Yet, Covid-19 is a fairly new infection and there are few studies on its workings and hence the drugs that can contain it. Clinical trials can help extract critical information on its use and dosage, <a href="https://time.com/5808894/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus/">said</a> Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. French and Chinese studies support US’ claims Right now, the only evidence medical professionals around the world have are a few random studies. A French study which examined infected patients showed that the level of virus in blood <a href="https://time.com/5808894/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus/">dropped after medication</a>. <div type="image" title="close-up-1853400_1920" msid="74809570" hostid="261"></div> Another Chinese study reiterated the same results. Approximately 100 patients were tested in China, where the disease first started, and the combination of the two drugs — antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine — was found to reduce viral infection. However, as far as the lab studies of Hydroxychloroquine are concerned, the researchers found that it could stop viruses like influenza and SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells. But, there is still a lag. “The problem is that what happens in the lab often doesn’t predict what happens in a patient,” Dr Otto Yang of the University of California, Los Angeles <a href="http://v">told</a> the TIME. <div type="image" title="laboratory-3827745_1920" msid="74809614" hostid="261"></div> Side effects of hydroxychloroquine The drug however is strictly prohibited for those below 15 years and above 60 years due to possible side-effects on kidney and heart. In spite of stamping on the drug, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) scientist Raman Gangakhedkar warned against self-medication. "Do not go for the COVID-19 test just on suspicion or consume hydroxychloroquine without a doctor's prescription because the medicine has its side effects,” he told IANS. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/those-who-violate-coronavirus-lockdown-could-be-jailed-for-2-years-and-fined/articleshow/74807160.cms">Those who violate Coronavirus lockdown could be jailed for 2 years and fined</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-death-cases-in-india-all-those-who-died-of-coronavirus-their-age-medical-and-travel-history/articleshow/74787832.cms">All those who died of Coronavirus in India, their age, medical and travel history</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/heres-how-a-21-day-lockdown-might-help-break-the-covid-19-chain/articleshow/74802999.cms">Here's how a 21-day lockdown might help break the Covid-19 chain</a>

The US is banking on India’s Hydroxychloroquine medicine — yet experts have their doubts

Hello,Welcome to Insider <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">Healthcare</keyword>. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alzheimers-disease-scientists-new-approaches-treat-2021-3"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-side-effects-blood-clots-very-rare-ema-2021-4">Experts tell us that AstraZeneca's vaccine is safer than flying on a plane</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-logan-nicholson-leveraged-finance-humana-deal-team-2021-4">Humana just hired a Goldman Sachs vet to lead corporate development and M&amp;A</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-8vc-invest-in-alloy-therapeutics-75-million-round-2021-4"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-side-effects-of-coronavirus-vaccines-2021-4">The most common side effects to expect from each vaccine</a>.</li></ul>If you're new to this newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-healthcare">sign up here.</a> Comments, tips? Email me at <a href="mailto:lramsey@insider.com">lramsey@insider.com</a> or tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/lydiaramsey125">@lydiaramsey125</a>. Let's get to it...<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-worth-it-despite-blood-clot-link-experts-2021-4"></a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-worth-it-despite-blood-clot-link-experts-2021-4">Getting AstraZeneca's shot is safer than flying on a plane, experts say - the bigger problem is an 'explosion of vaccine skepticism'</a></h3><ul><li><keyword id="30946" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="blood-clots">Blood clots</keyword> are a "very rare" side effect of <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>'s shot, European regulators said Wednesday.</li><li>But five medical experts told Insider they aren't convinced the shot actually causes clotting.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-worth-it-despite-blood-clot-link-experts-2021-4">Experts worry that public skepticism may unnecessarily derail AstraZeneca's global vaccine rollout.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-vaccine-worth-it-despite-blood-clot-link-experts-2021-4">Read more about the risks here&gt;&gt;</a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-logan-nicholson-leveraged-finance-humana-deal-team-2021-4"><div type="image" title="David Solomon goldman sachs" height="2000" width="2667" msid="81971568" hostid="261"></div></a></h3><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-logan-nicholson-leveraged-finance-humana-deal-team-2021-4">Humana just poached a veteran Goldman Sachs banker to lead M&amp;A and corporate development</a></h3><ul><li>Former Goldman banker Logan Nicholson has left to lead Humana's corporate development and M&amp;A team.</li><li>Nicholson spent 18 years at Goldman, most recently as head of US leveraged finance capital markets.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-logan-nicholson-leveraged-finance-humana-deal-team-2021-4">Chris Bonner, JPMorgan's co-head of capital markets, will leave the bank to join Goldman.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-logan-nicholson-leveraged-finance-humana-deal-team-2021-4">Learn more about the move here&gt;&gt;</a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-side-effects-of-coronavirus-vaccines-2021-4"><div type="image" title="vaccine selfie colorado" height="1125" width="1500" msid="81971570" hostid="261"></div></a></h3><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-side-effects-of-coronavirus-vaccines-2021-4">The most common side effects to expect after your coronavirus vaccine, based on which shot you get</a></h3><ul><li>All three US-authorized <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccines can have similar side effects, though they vary slightly.</li><li>Injection-site pain is the most common side effect of all three shots.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-side-effects-of-coronavirus-vaccines-2021-4">More than 60% of participants in Moderna's and Pfizer's trials also reported fatigue.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-common-side-effects-of-coronavirus-vaccines-2021-4">See the full chart here&gt;&gt;</a>More stories we're reading:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/double-mutant-coronavirus-variant-california-india-2021-4">A 'double mutant' coronavirus variant found in India was spotted in California - but there's no evidence it's 'doubly scary'</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-an-emergency-medical-system-on-the-brink-of-collapse">The lasting impact the pandemic will have on first responders</a> (ProPublica)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-third-neurological-mental-health-condition-6-month-after-covid-2021-4">Over a third of COVID-19 survivors experience a neurological condition or mental illness in the 6 months after infection, a large-scale study finds</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/50031165-1f46-446b-be9a-36d553805fec">European regulators are looking into the ethical standards for Russia's Sputnik vaccine trials</a> (Financial Times)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blood-clot-symptoms-how-to-spot-clot-and-get-treated-2021-4">How to spot the symptoms of a blood clot</a> (Insider)</li></ul>- Lydia

Evaluating AstraZeneca's shot after European regulators say blood clots are a rare side effect

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Shayanne Gal/Business Insider</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Facebook's blood donation feature in India risks being abused by black market blood peddlers.</li><li>Local blood donation experts told Business Insider the product can be used to illegally sell blood in the country.</li><li>Facebook says it has only seen one report through its platform, though one expert said victims were unlikely to report the issue and that he has heard reports of blood selling.</li><li>"The Facebook blood donation tool is not only trying to save lives but also indirectly helping to create a very disastrous and illegal blood donation activities," said one blood donor organisation founder.</li><li>This black market pre-dates Facebook's time in the country, but there are fears that the way Facebook connects donors and recipients could exacerbate it.</li></ul> Several public health officials in India are calling for <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/fb-stock">Facebook</a> to make changes to its blood donation tool, warning that the tech project - although well-meaning - risks fueling a dangerous black market for blood and harming the country's fragile blood collection system. Facebook's one-year-old blood donation feature has already helped facilitate tens of thousands of donations since it was launched, saving lives by making it easier for people in need of transfusions to find willing donors with matching blood types.But the tool's person-to-person format is ringing alarm bells among experts and professionals in the field, who say that it's too easy for unscrupulous characters to latch onto, leaving vulnerable people at risk of paying exorbitant prices and receiving tainted blood, among other issues.Facebook said that it has only had one report of forbidden behavior on the tool - but the head of one Indian blood donor organization said he has been told about incidents of black market blood selling on Facebook and suggested victims of black marketers were unlikely to report them to the social media firm."These types of products ... definitely bring in black marketing, and it's definitely promoting it unknowingly, because it was not the intent of Facebook to promote black marketing," said Biswaroop Biswas, the National Secretary of the Federation of Indian Blood Donor Organisations (FIBDO), a coalition of 126 blood donation groups across India.The issue, which has not been previously been reported, illustrates the ongoing challenges Facebook faces in its efforts to ensure that its 2-billion member social network is not exploited for nefarious ends, whether that be interfering in US elections or promoting ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. The company is walking a delicate tightrope with the India blood donation tool, as it tries balance the unprecedented power, and undeniable benefits, that its technology brings with the potential for it to exacerbate thorny and endemic problems within the country.In an interview, Facebook health product manager Hema Budaraju said: "What I would like to emphasize is our role is to get more and more blood banks to adopt our features, and to actually build up the culture of blood donation. And as you're already well aware, this system doesn't exist in the US, right? It's because donors are motivated [to give blood regularly].""That's the world we are trying to get to, and we are working constantly with NGOs and blood banks."<h2>India has a worrying black market in blood</h2>India quite simply doesn't have enough blood to go around.There is <a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/09/blood-donations-in-india/">an annual deficit of more than one million units of blood</a> in the country - meaning patients can sometimes be forced to search for their own sources of blood, asking their social circle for donations or even paying illegal black marketers extortionate sums.As Facebook grew in the country, it became an avenue for people to request blood donations from others in their network. In response, Facebook launched a tool in 2017 to try and facilitate donations more formally.Initially available in India and now also live in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Brazil, Facebook's blood donation tool allows organisations and individuals to put out requests for blood donors on the social network at short-notice. Users can voluntarily register themselves on Facebook as blood donors, and then, when a request is put out nearby, they may be notified (or view them in a centralized hub).These requests may be sent by medical institutions like hospitals and blood banks as part of broad donation drives, or individuals who require blood on behalf on themselves or a family member imminently, and who may or may not be in a medical institution.<a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/06/making-it-easier-to-donate-blood/">More than 11 million people have now signed up for the service</a> across the four countries it operates in, and it has facilitated tens of thousands of donations. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/09/blood-donations-in-india/">Facebook</a>A publicity photo from Facebook showing a request on the blood donation tool.</div></div></div>There is an existing black market for blood in India, preying on desperate sufferers amid blood shortages. FIBDO expressed concerns that Facebook's product may help fuel this. Black market agents can register on the platform as donors, Biswas said. Then, when notifications and requests go out, the agents can contact the requester directly, offering them blood for a fee.He said he has spoken to people who have been approached by black market blood sellers on Facebook. Budaraju said the company has multiple safeguards in place to protect users. New accounts aren't sent notifications about requests, and "the registrations we receive are doubly checked against fake and spammy accounts." Users are also able to report other users if they ask for money in return for blood, and she said there has only been one instance of a report through the platform to date - a post that was soliciting blood in exchange for money, in Bangladesh. (The user was subsequently made unable to use the blood donation tool.)However, Biswas, who also sits on the governing body of the National Blood Transfusion Council, was skeptical that users would report black market issues to Facebook, suggesting they would simply pay up in a time of need instead. "If you need blood and people ask for money ... Will [you] report or just go with the donor [and] pay him?"Chethan Gowda, student founder of blood donor organisation Khoon, said unscrupulous middlemen could also potentially use the platform to sell blood at extortionate rates: "The racket personnel can also request for blood, arrange for a donor through Facebook and on the other hand charge huge amount from the patient family, wherein the blood donor who turned up to donate blood will have no idea of what's going on on the other end."And black market blood that hasn't been vetted carries a risk of being misclassified, tainted or otherwise dangerous, health experts say.Gowda added: "The Facebook blood donation tool is not only trying to save lives but also indirectly helping to create a very disastrous and illegal blood donation activities."<h2>These problems all pre-date Facebook - but now it has to deal with them</h2>These kinds of problems long pre-date Facebook's entry into the blood donation space, and also take place on other online platforms, Biswas said. Facebook also continues to work with NGOs and blood donor organisations in India to encourage donations, including NTR Trust, the National Blood Transfusion Council, and Giants <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword>. "There are known issues of scams/exploitation or bad actors in blood donation in some of the countries where our feature is available," Budaraju said in an email. "We've worked closely with partner organizations and NGOs to understand those concerns and the challenges they deal with in order to build a product that helps makes it easier for people to sign-up to be blood donors and find opportunities to donate nearby while also mitigating these risks. While there may be a few bad actors, we see a lot more good happening as a result of this feature."She said that partners "highlighted a few concerns about potential ... scam[s] or abuse that could happen on Facebook, which is why we've designed the product with a number of safeguards in place. No partners have raised issues since we launched the product in each country, but we continue to work closely with them to ensure the feature is as safe and useful as possible."But the concerns of the Indian organizations who spoke to Business Insider point to how as Facebook moves into new markets and experiments with new tools designed to do good, it has been forced to grapple with unprecedented new challenges that would have been unimaginable when it was founded as a simple network for college students in 2004.Facebook has stumbled in India before, with Free Basics - a program to provide a free, limited internet service to users in emerging markets. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/27/facebook-free-basics-developing-markets">Facebook promoted it as a magnanimous project, but it was met with protests</a>, and the company was accused of "digital colonialism" and violating net neutrality principles.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesA nurse takes blood from a volunteer on April 17, 2007, Manchester, England.</div></div></div><h2>India wants to move away from 'replacement' blood donations</h2>India has set itself a goal: By 2020, it wants to hit 100% voluntary blood donation.This means 100% of the blood used in the country will come from volunteers proactively going to hospitals, blood banks, and donation drives to donate, which will then be distributed as necessary. At present, a portion of India's blood donations come from what is known as "replacement blood donations" - when a donor agrees to give blood specifically for someone in their network, rather than to the general blood bank.This system can be problematic, with donors sometimes feeling pressured to donate blood to those in their community, and the lack of anonymity sometimes causing issues with donors attempting to extract favors (if not outright payment) from the recipients. FIBDO is concerned that Facebook's mechanism for connecting donors and recipients directly can encourage replacement blood donation. "When they got in touch with us, we told them this is not the way you people will be able to help the society," Biswas said. He believes that Facebook's one-to-one model effectively violates India's National Blood Policy, which calls for a movement away from replacement donors, and he would like to see Facebook remove one-to-one donation options.Facebook disagrees, arguing that its one-to-one model is a step forward from the status quo, and that it too wants to see a 100% voluntary blood donation model implemented as soon as possible. Without Facebook's tools, people needing donations might ask people in real life for a donation, applying significant pressure, Budaraju said. In contrast, Facebook's notifications will also go to people outside a recipient's existing social circle, to people who have already registered and signaled their willingness to donate. The recipient is also unaware of the potential donors' identities unless they choose to respond and share information about themselves."In some ways I fundamentally believe the current system that we built on Facebook, even when used in the person-to-person, is a step towards voluntary, because people are under no coercion, do not have social pressures, are choosing to respond of their own volition and going in to donate," Facebook's Budaraju said. "So it's actually the opposite of the replacement system."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Charles PlatiauFacebook's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.</div></div></div><h2>There are worries around blood wastage</h2>Another area of concern is around potential blood wastage.Srijan Pal Singh, the CEO of developmental NGO The Kalam Centre, said that Facebook's focus on increasing blood donations, without building out further blood storage infrastructure, could result in some of the blood drawn being wasted. "The time we worked with them, it seemed all about creating more units, but that's not the idea. It's not about creating more units, it's about helping more lives, and there's a difference between the two," he said."It's a well-known fact, three million units of blood was wasted in five years [in India] so unless you have the mechanism to store this blood it doesn't make sense."Facebook responded that it believes that other organisations in the blood donation ecosystem are better placed to work on these problems than it. "We are still a relatively young product, we are focusing on .. Facebook's strengths in terms of education, communication, context, and in bringing awareness, and to build simple tools for blood banks and hospitals,"Budaraju said."I don't know that we would be the most effective people to think about storage and infrastructure."<h2>'People will try to abuse those services in every way possible'</h2>It's difficult to assess to what extent some of these concerns might actually be happening on Facebook.Khoon's Chethan Gowda conceded that it's hard to measure whether the illegal behavior he has seen elsewhere is taking place on Facebook. "Concrete example[s] of a similar scenario happening through the Facebook blood donation tool is tough," he said. "As there's no track on the request."Singh urged Facebook to get ahead of the problem. "When you have so much outreach and access, a lot of these touts and brokers may emerge, this is a possibility that I also hope Facebook sees will come up," he said. "When they are implementing this platform with all this good intent they should not end up becoming a victim of encouraging a whole black market brokerage."Biswas said he is confident that black market selling is already taking place on Facebook, and has spoken to people who have been approached by blood sellers on the platform: "These things are happening. And as you can see when the people are in need of blood, they won't come out to say to the donor organisations afterwards that people are coming and asking for money." Despite these alleged flaws, Facebook believes it has built a significant improvement on the previous status quo - desperate patients and their families posting unregulated and unmonitored requests for blood directly onto Facebook and other platforms across the web. Both Facebook and FIBDO agree that a priority is education and promoting a cultural shift towards voluntary blood donation; Facebook plans to roll out educational resources for donors in the product soon. The company also continues to work with NGOs and blood donation organisations, who have heralded its work to drive blood donations and save lives. "Facebook has long been a positive platform for people in India to connect with Blood Donors and help those in need. NTR Trust welcomes Facebook's efforts to help make it even easier for people to donate blood in India," Vishnu Vardhan, CEO of non-profit organisation NTR Trust, said in a statement when the feature first launched. "We look forward to working together to raise awareness of the importance of donating blood and collectively catalyze sustainable access to safe blood in India. What Facebook is doing has the potential to bring tectonic shifts in Blood Banking in India."On Friday, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10105224999156601?__tn__=-R">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a post on the social network</a> reflecting on Facebook's efforts to fix its platform over the last year."What I've learned so far is that when you build services that are used by billions of people across countries and cultures, you will see all of the good humanity is capable of, and people will try to abuse those services in every way possible," he wrote."It is our responsibility to amplify the good and mitigate the bad." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kaman-kmax-helicopter-intermeshing-dual-crossing-rotors-2018-8">An aerospace company reintroduced its precision helicopter with two crossing motors</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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