Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a remarkable and selfless act, a blood donor from Shirdi travelled nearly 700 kilometres overnight to reach AIIMS Bhopal, where his blood donation saved the life of a pregnant woman diagnosed with the extremely rare Bombay blood group.

The patient, admitted for delivery, was found to have this rare blood group, a condition that makes finding a compatible donor an exceptionally challenging task.

Upon receiving an emergency request for blood, Ravindra, a dedicated donor from Shirdi, wasted no time and immediately embarked on the journey to Bhopal.

His generous contribution ensured that the pregnant woman received the necessary blood transfusion, which enabled a safe delivery. The transportation of the donor was arranged free of cost by Ashok Nair, who runs the NGO ‘Blood Call Centre’. This collaboration between a community-driven initiative and the medical team at AIIMS Bhopal proved vital in a time of critical need.

The Bombay blood group is one of the rarest in the world, with only 1 in 10,000 to 1 lakh individuals in India having this blood type. Due to its extreme rarity, finding a compatible donor can be a daunting task. Dr. Romesh Jain, associate professor at AIIMS Bhopal, highlighted the importance of creating a national rare blood group registry to streamline the process of finding compatible donors and to respond effectively to such life-threatening emergencies.

Rarelife-saving surgery at AIIMS

AIIMS Bhopal has successfully performed a rare and life-saving procedure, simultaneously conducting heart valve surgery and a caesarean delivery on a 24-year-old pregnant woman.

The patient had previously undergone valve surgery and had an artificial heart valve implanted 10 years ago. However, during her pregnancy, the valve became blocked, causing severe breathing difficulties.

Performing surgery on the blocked valve before reaching full-term would have been too risky for both the mother and her unborn child. Despite the challenges, the doctors at AIIMS carried out the critical heart surgery alongside the caesarean section, ensuring the safety of both mother and child.