Ahmedabad: It was during an emergency surgery at a private hospital in Kalol, Gandhinagar, that the patient was found to have the extremely rare Bombay Blood (Oh phenotype) group. What followed the chance discovery was a swift inter-district operation that delivered the blood in just four hours.The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) coordinated the life-saving effort across the Ahmedabad and Vadodara districts after the hospital made an urgent request for the rare blood type. Dr Vishwas Amin, general secretary of IRCS Ahmedabad, explained the rarity of the situation. “It is an extremely rare blood type, and after Covid, we supplied only one unit. It is found in about one in 10 lakh people. Without it, the surgery couldn’t proceed and no donor was available,” he said. The blood bank immediately contacted its branches statewide and located one registered donor in Vadodara. Unable to travel to Ahmedabad due to prior commitments, the donor agreed to donate blood at the IRCS Vadodara branch. “After the blood was donated, a special team started off from Vadodara and delivered it to Ahmedabad. The blood components were isolated as required and sent to the hospital. It all happened in a matter of four hours,” Dr Amin said. “When humanity comes together, miracles become possible.” IRCS has appealed to individuals with rare blood groups to register with nearby blood banks. Officials noted that such rare blood types are not routinely collected but are procured on demand through registered donors. Notably, Gujarat has a strong track record of voluntary blood donation activities.
