Track: Operations Management

Abstract

Efficient healthcare system relies on well-placed blood facilities. Blood centers collect donated blood, process it, and deliver it to hospitals for transfusion. Due to the importance of health care, this study addresses blood center placement as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. The purpose of this study is to develop a decision support system for determining the right location within the healthcare system  for establishing a blood center in Rajshahi's most densely populated district. The system is developed through MCDM technique, Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with TOPSIS, which guides decision-makers in evaluating and selecting appropriate blood center locations. By using the system, identified criterias are weighted by AHP, and then alternatives are ranked by TOPSIS. Based on the normalized criteria weights, the ideal best and worst values of each of Rajshahi's four thanas have been determined. Based on the analysis of all alternatives, a score of six criteria determined Shah Makdum thana to be the top, Motihar  thana to be the second, Boaloia to be the third, Rajpara thana to be the fourth.Shahmakdum  thana emerged as  the most suitable, since it met all of the criteria. In this strategic process, this integrated approach helps decision-makers make more informed decisions by providing a comprehensive analysis of the alternatives. The proposed blood center will benefit the local community by providing safe blood to those in need