June 19, 2016 - Rare group blood sent from Mumbai to Dhaka

Mohammad Kamruzzaman, a resident of Dhaka, Bangladesh met with a traffic accident on May 21, 2016. He was rushed to the local Apollo Hospital for treatment for serious multiple fractures. Doctors at the hospital could not find compatible blood units in their blood bank; and realized that Kamruzzaman had the rare “Bombay” phenotype. Most blood banks in Bangladesh were not aware about this blood group, and there was almost no chance of finding donors in their country. A frantic online search led them to Think Foundation, which maintains a Registry of donors of this blood group in India.

Our Foundation went about the task of contacting donors from our Registry. Swapna Sawant, Pravin Shinde, Krishnanand Kori and Mehul Bhelekar readily responded to the call from our Foundation and donated blood in Mumbai. Unlike other calls from within the country where Think Foundation airlifts blood units of this rare group, this case was different as it involved another country. Think Foundation’s Vice President made the rounds of various offices and secured permissions from the State Blood Transfusion Council, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Directorate of Health Services, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which is in charge of security in the airport.

Kamruzzaman was the sole bread-winner of his family and had an ailing mother to take care of. His employers, Arinoba Plastic Industries spared no efforts in coming to his rescue. They deputed Mr. S.K. Tuhinur Alam to coordinate with Think Foundation. Mr. Alam travelled all the way from Dhaka to Mumbai. The blood units which were packed in an appropriate box with adequate gel packs to maintain the “cold chain” were carried by Mr. Alam on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Dhaka.

On receiving the blood units, doctors at Apollo Hospital carried out a successful surgery on Kamruzzaman. He remained in Hospital for a month, and was discharged after full recovery. He is now back with his family as bread-winner

Four Mumbai donors rescue Dhaka man with rare blood group| 18/06/16| The Times of India