Sankalp's emergency team works round the clock to help those who fail to find blood off the shelf. A major responsibility of the team is to coordinate the availability of Bombay blood group. The work of the team is highly eventful. Here we share some major events from the last month relating to Bombay blood group.
Bombay blood group detected in a blood donation camp
When we started getting a Bombay blood request a week in 2011 we were sure that there should be more Bombay blood group donors than known. Blood bankers told us that they have never (or at-least very rarely detected Bombay blood group). And yet, every other Bombay blood group donor told us that they had donated blood multiple times before getting to know that their blood group was Bombay. After deliberations and looking at the guidelines we requested the blood banks to screen all individuals who were detected as O group using slide method to be checked for Bombay blood group. It took time to get the message through and get the ball rolling. Even as Bombay group screening became a regular feature of all blood donation drives which Sankalp organises, there was a small amount of scepticism. We have great news! In one of the blood donation drives last month, an individual with Bombay blood group was detected before he could proceed to donate blood. The whole concept of pre-donation screening for Bombay blood group got validated and rewarded.
We would like to thank all the blood bankers who have time and again stood by us in bringing in better practices in blood donation drives. Thanks to you, we saved a unit of Bombay blood group to be used at a better time and found a willing Bombay blood group donor.
Bombay Blood Group lifted from Kolkata to Bhilai
Networking for Bombay Blood Group is bearing rich dividends. Last month we received an updated from Mr Biwaroop Biswas, Secretary, Federation of Indian Blood Donor Organizations, Kolkata that 2 units of Bombay blood group were available in some blood bank in the city. He had heard about www.bombaybloodgroup.org and knew that passing on the word could lead to utilisation of the unit before it expired. We updated the site.
Some 1000 km away in Bhilai the doctors faced an unusual situation. They had a lady who needed 2 units of blood post delivery - and that is when it was detected that the blood group was Bombay. In a few minutes they came across www.bombaybloodgroup.org and contacted the team in Bangalore. The team realised that this was a perfectly matched case of availability and need. A few calls later the patient's relatives were talking to Mr Biswas and planning to transport the unit from Kolkata to Bhilai by air.
The units of Kolkata did not go waste and the family in Bhilai was saved the trauma of finding donors and getting blood. Networking is the way ahead for Bombay blood group. Thanks a lot Mr Biswas for your participation and help!
Reserving units only to be wasted
While many institutions are opening up with the idea of networking and working collaboratively to optimally utilise Bombay blood group, we did come across horrifying stories of wastage. Very recently a blood bank informed about a Bombay blood group unit available with them only a few days before expiry. If they dad informed the network well in advance the unit would have got properly utilised. Unfortunately in the short time span that was available, no patient came forward for the unit. We urge the blood banks to inform the network about the availability of Bombay blood group as soon as it is detected.
Urging blood banks to pre-screen for Bombay Blood Group
There are 2 possibilities for a unit of Bombay blood group to find its way on a shelf. The first is the case when a unit which got donated for a patient did not get utilised. The other is when the blood bank discovered that the unit is Bombay blood group post collection. Last month, another unit of Bombay blood group in one of the blood banks in the country did not get utilised. Considering the fact that several times in the year there is a nationwide shortage of the group and the voluntary organisations and doctors struggle to make available the units, such wastage should be minimised. A simple way to prevent wastage is by screen for Bombay blood group before collection of blood. Urging blood banks to screen for Bombay group during pre-donation checks.