Being diagnosed with a rare blood group can pose serious health risks as finding compatible donors becomes a challenge. The Bombay Blood Group, found in just 1 in 10,000 Indians, is one such rare type that provides its own set of difficulties due to its unique characteristics.
BBG, also known as the hh blood group, lacks the H antigen present in more common blood types. This means those with this group cannot receive regular donations and can only be transfused blood from another BBG individual. With such a small pool of potential donors, locating a match in urgent situations becomes an uphill task.
Delays in treatment due to incompatible blood have real consequences. One pregnant woman in Vellore had to wait 15 days for a compatible donor when she needed emergency delivery. Lives have been lost where rare donors could not be found in time. While individual efforts help, the lack of a centralized registry further complicates the scavenger hunt for a donor match.
The short 40-day shelf life of all blood types also places pressures on maintaining an adequate supply. With BBG found globally in just 4 per million, efficiencies are needed to optimize limited resources. A national rare blood group database could help healthcare providers search across regions, increasing the chances of a match before critical time runs out.
Stories like Amitabh Kumar who has donated 35 times to help others with his rare blood emphasize the role each compatible donor plays. As medical advances reveal more rare groups, a coordinated approach to donor connectivity emerges as a lifesaving priority.
