A Multiobjective Model for a Multilevel Blood Supply Chain to Improve the Attractiveness of Blood Centers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Failure to control crisis conditions leads to irreparable damage to many supply chains around the world, including blood supply chains (BSCs) as critical networks in the health system. Consequently, it significantly reduces the supply of blood and its products, as vital materials, and exerts detrimental effects on the activities of blood organizations and facilities as well as the health of individuals in society. In the present study, the proposed model seeks to simultaneously minimize the operating costs and the shortage of blood products with the aim of improving the attractiveness of blood centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, by optimizing the overall cost and the attractiveness of blood donation centers, an attractive efficient environment is provided. It can help to remove barriers to blood donation and improve blood health. To this end, the model takes certain strategies into account for the proper establishment of new local blood collection centers (BCCs) and mobile BCCs. It also arranges suitable transportation vehicles for the efficient transfer of blood products to the provincial centers of the candidate country and sets various incentive policies for blood donation. In order to minimize the costs of the entire supply chain network and maximize the attractiveness of the BCCs, a two-objective mathematical model is developed. It produces Pareto solutions using the $\epsilon$-constraint method. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed approach and the sensitivity of the corresponding parameters are analyzed through a practical case study. The obtained results represent that a growth in the attractiveness of blood centers induces a raise in the number of donors, and, consequently, the amount of the donated blood grows. This depends on more investment at all levels of the supply chain, including collection, production, storage, and transportation. Moreover, the performance and attractiveness of a BSC can be enhanced significantly if the number of collection centers and the amount of blood sent from the receiving centers to the demand nodes are increased.