Prathama Blood Centre represents a significant initiative by the Advanced Transfusion Medicine Research Foundation (ATMRF) aimed at modernizing blood banking practices in India. As a not-for-profit organization, Prathama — meaning "The First and The Foremost" in Sanskrit — has transformed the landscape of blood banking in the country through three core principles:

• Promote voluntary blood donation while discouraging replacement donations.
• Implement a comprehensive system for the preparation and distribution of blood components.
• Scale operations to ensure the provision of safe blood through a cost-recovery model.

Conceived in the late 1990s during a turbulent period for Indian blood banking, Prathama emerged in response to the urgent need for safe blood. At that time, the demand for blood was synonymous with emergencies nationwide, often resulting in infections from HIV, Hepatitis, and other transfusion-transmitted diseases. Blood banks were poorly equipped and mismanaged, while private entities exploited patients financially. Acquiring blood during this period was a daunting challenge.

Prathama was envisioned as a philanthropic endeavor in collaboration with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. To develop an effective model, the founders meticulously studied exemplary blood banking practices worldwide, aiming to create a unique system that adheres to international standards while offering services at an economical cost.

Established in 1997 as a charitable trust and a Section 25 Company, Prathama received support from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, which provided land for this noble mission. With a commitment to international benchmarks, Prathama dedicated itself to the following philosophies for its operations:

• To mobilize society en masse for voluntary blood donation.
• To establish world-class facilities for blood processing, testing, and storage.
• To transition to a model centered entirely on blood components.
• To dispense blood without replacement, ensuring the highest safety standards.
• To implement a professional management system that guarantees exceptional patient services.
• To operate on a large scale to achieve economies of scale.

Prathama's operations and services quickly garnered acclaim within the community, delivering product quality and service levels that were previously unimaginable. In a remarkably short period, Prathama emerged as the most preferred blood center in the city, successfully providing high-quality, safe blood to patients without requiring replacement donations, even at their bedside. This success contributed to the closure of several private "for-profit" blood banks.

Thanks to its distinctive approach and unwavering commitment to supplying safe blood components, Prathama has established itself as one of the premier blood establishments in South Asia, earning both NABH accreditation and ISO 9000:2009 certification.

The cause championed by Prathama resonated strongly with enthusiastic blood donors in Ahmedabad. Our voluntary blood collection has consistently increased, currently exceeding 35,000 units of donations annually. Remarkably, more than 50% of our voluntary donors are repeat contributors, regularly returning to donate with Prathama. Each year, we distribute over 100,000 units of blood components to patients in need.

Notably, nearly 100 patients have received more than 100 units of blood components from Prathama, while around 500 patients have benefited from over 50 components, and more than 10,000 patients have received upwards of 10 components — all provided without the necessity of replacement donations. In other cities, such a significant demand for blood from a single patient would raise alarms, yet at Prathama, this has become routine. Prathama is the preferred blood center for over 2,000 clinicians and approximately 100 hospitals in and around Ahmedabad, recognized for its reliable provision of blood and blood components.