Woman with multiple issues gets two units of rare Bombay blood at Pudukkottai GH

PUDUKOTTAI: A 22-year-old woman, who suffered multiple complications including a miscarriage and
kidney failure, was transfused two units of the rare Bombay (hh) blood at the Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. Doctors said the blood group is found only in 1 among 10,000 people.

B Chitra from Aranthangi, who was two-months pregnant, was admitted to Aranthangi Government Hospital on May 5 with severe anemia. She had a miscarriage there and was sent to Pudukottai Ranee's Government Hospital on May 6. Blood tests revealed that she had the rare Bombay blood group and cannot be given any other blood group, which tuned into a challenge.

The gynaecological team diagnosed her with kidney disease as well and she was shifted to the Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital. Under the guidance of Dean Dr M Poovathy, a team, including associate professor Dr K Usha, blood bank officer Dr A Kishore Kumar and staff nurse Senthamizhchelvi,
brought one unit of the rare blood to the hospital by train from Chennai on May 7.

The patient underwent dialysis due to kidney failure on Tuesday and the first unit of blood was transfused. The second unit was found available at Madurai Rajaji Government Hospital and it was brought to Pudukottai by car and transfused on Wednesday.

"The Bombay blood group is extremely rare. The patient had kidney failure too. We first gave her dialysis and then transfused one unit of blood and we transfused the second unit. I want to congratulate the team for finding the donors. I urge the people with this blood type to register at blood banks so that
it will be available when needed," said Dr Poovathy.

The patient's health is currently improving, Dr Poovathy said, thanking the team that included the Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr Amutha, the Department of General Medicine headed by Dr Krishnasami Prasad and the Department of Nephrology headed by Dr Saravanakumar.