2019

This is a Finalist in the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Mobile Blood Donation Information System PLUSS (People-centered, Leadership initiatives, Upgrade innovation, for Sustainable blood Strategy)

Organization

LGU of Kiamba, Sarangani

Best practice Focus Area(s)

Leadership, Customer and Citizen Focus, and Strategic Performance Management

Year Implemented

2018

Summary

To attain the Department of Health (DOH) national objective for blood collection of more than 1% of the total population, the local government unit (LGU) of Kiamba developed an information system to strengthen the program of mobile blood donation. 

The Mobile Blood Donation Information System PLUSS (People-centered, Leadership initiatives, Upgrade innovation, for Sustainable blood Strategy) is a record management system that enhances the implementation of the LGU’s mobile voluntary blood donation program across the municipality.  Through this system, the LGU was able to manage or monitor strategic performance and increase patient confidence in accessing local health facilities. The new innovation was conceptualized with multiple functions. The beta version was initiated by DOH-HRH Kiamba in 2018. The final version was released in 2019.

Background and Problem

Locally, the increasing number of pregnant women with low hemoglobin count has put pressure on the municipality’s blood supply. The local health facilities were concerned about insufficient and unsustainable blood supply. 

The Kiamba Blood Program is being implemented to ensure that the LGU has an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood for cases of pregnancy-related complications in local health facilities, and for other health emergencies and disaster events. In line with the national target of blood collection rate of more than 1% of the total population, the LGU developed the Mobile Blood Donation Information System PLUSS to generate reliable and consistent data that can be used to strengthen donor recruitment retention. 

In support of this project, the LGU also developed policies for the sustainability of blood supply through regular blood donation from every barangay. Budgets were allocated, and barangay blood coordinating councils were also created.

Solution and Impact

The introduction of the Mobile Blood Donation Information System PLUSS transformed the community’s perception of mobile blood donation. The client responded positively to call for  blood donation. This has a positive effect on their practice of donation from being a replacement donor to voluntary blood donors. In relation to this, the health-seeking behavior of the people has been positively improved by the program.

The LGU engages with multiple organizations such as the Philippine Red Cross – SARGEN Chapter, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Sangguniang Bayan (SK), and barangay officials to get the needed logistics and manpower resources for the year-round mobile blood donation activities. The values of bayanihan spirit are practiced during donor recruitment and retention care to ensure that the donor received proper and accurate information pertaining to donation activity and post-donation activity. Information system for blood program was also innovated for data recording management system, report generation, as well as donor recruitment and information dissemination using the bulk SMS function and also interoperability of data link to STI to capture for treatment and management. To ensure the sustainability of the program the LGU creates a municipal ordinance to strengthen and sustain the program with funds appropriation which is adopted by the barangays.

The partnership of Philippine Red Cross and the MHO of Kiamba was supported by LGU and barangay officials which resulted in the achievement of the target of blood collection rate of more than 1% of total population last year. The LGU exceeded its targets by achieving more than 1% of its target goal by having a large population of Kiamba donating to the blood unit. This has shown its value in ensuring the sustainability of the blood donation program. The community of Kiamba and neighboring municipalities will have an adequate blood supply that can be used to save lives during emergency cases.

For the community, client confidence and trust in accessing health facilities due to the abundant blood supply has increased. This is manifested in the increase in voluntary donation and easier access to the blood supply unit.

For the organization who manages the data using information systems, the length of data processing was reduced, while accuracy and timeliness of data submission was improved.

Milestones

  • Better results than the annual national target of blood collection rate of 1% of the total population.
  • Reduced time turnout with an auto computes for percentage accomplishment as well as the percentage of donor retention.
  • Increased number of donor recruitment, retention, and blood utilization of safe blood supply.
  • Sustainable blood supply to the municipality and neighboring municipalities such as Palembang, Maasim and Maitum with a year-round MBD schedule
  • Accurate and timely data reporting
  • Sandugo awardee

The next steps that the LGU is looking for are the interoperability of data to other DOH programs and replication of the innovation and initiatives from local to global.