Rare blood donor program launched in Karnataka to support patients with uncommon blood types
Bangalore: In a significant move to address the blood requirements of patients with rare blood groups, the Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre, part of Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST), launched a ‘Rare Blood Donor’ program on Tuesday. This initiative, in collaboration with the Karnataka State Blood Transfusion Council, was unveiled by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on National Voluntary Blood Donation Day.
The program aims to establish a ‘Rare Blood Donor’ registry, creating a database of voluntary donors with rare blood types and maintaining a repository of frozen red cell units of these uncommon groups. The initiative has the technical support of the National Institute of Immunohematology (NIIH) ICMR Mumbai, New York Blood Center in the U.S., and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in Amsterdam.
Patients with conditions like thalassemia and cancer, who require frequent transfusions, are at particular risk when they have rare blood types, as it is difficult to find precisely matched donors. Pregnant women with rare blood groups are also at a higher risk of complications such as miscarriages and haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), which can be fatal if not managed.
Dr. Latha Jagannathan, Medical Director and Managing Trustee of Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre, highlighted that the program will provide training and raise awareness across Karnataka’s blood centers about rare blood groups. She explained that advanced blood group testing using both serology and molecular techniques will help identify rare blood types in patients and their families.
“Out of 500 individuals tested so far, we have identified 60 rare blood donors who have been enrolled in the registry. We will also identify other voluntary donors with rare blood types and share anonymized data with the International Rare Donor Panel,” Dr. Latha stated, noting that BMST’s center, along with the ICMR center in Mumbai, is the only one in India with such a registry.
Ankit Mathur, Additional Medical Director at BMST, explained that there are currently 45 identified blood group systems, with ABO and Rh (Rhesus factor) being the most common. However, rare blood groups, such as the Bombay (Oh) phenotype and Rh-D-/-D-, are present in fewer than one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 people, and can cause complications during transfusions or pregnancies.
The BMST’s Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre is notable for being the only NGO in India with a standalone facility that includes a blood center, tissue bank, HLA lab, and stem cell collection. It is Karnataka’s largest regional blood transfusion center, collecting around 40,000 units of blood annually, with 35% of the donations provided free of charge, all sourced from voluntary donors.
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Trump’s fresh threat to bomb Iran amid reports of deal to end war
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said.
According to Axios, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
It said many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved.
