Man with rare 'Bombay' blood group travels from Maharashtra to MP to save woman's life
Indore (PTI): A florist with the rare 'Bombay' blood group travelled more than 400 kilometres by a car from Shirdi in Maharashtra to Madhya Pradesh to help save the life of a 30-year-old woman who was critically ill, officials said.
Ravindra Ashtekar, 36, who runs a wholesale flower business in Shirdi, reached Indore in MP on May 25 and donated blood to the woman, admitted to a hospital here, following which her condition has improved, they said.
"When I came to know about the critical condition of this woman through a group of blood donors on WhatsApp, I left for Indore in a friend's car, travelling about 440 kilometres. I obviously feel good because I could make some contribution from my side in saving the woman's life," Ashtekar told PTI on Tuesday.
He said in the last 10 years, he has donated blood to the needy patients eight times in his home state Maharashtra as well as in different cities of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Dr Ashok Yadav, head of the transfusion medicine department at the government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital here, on Tuesday said the woman had been accidentally administered 'O' positive group blood during an operation for an obstetric ailment in another hospital.
Due to this, her condition deteriorated and kidneys were also affected, he said.
"When the woman was sent to Roberts Nursing Home in Indore after her condition deteriorated, her haemoglobin level had fallen to around 4 grams per decilitre, whereas the haemoglobin level of a healthy woman should be 12 to 15 grams per decilitre," he said.
After being administered four units of 'Bombay' blood, the woman's condition has become better, Yadav said.
If the woman was not given blood of this rare group on time, her life could have been in danger, he said.
Ashok Nayak, head of the blood call centre at Indore's social organisation Damodar Yuva Sangathan, helped in the collection of 'Bombay' group blood for the woman patient.
Two units of blood of this group were transported by air from Nagpur to Indore for the woman, and her sister also donated one unit of blood in Indore, Nayak said.
'Bombay' blood group, said to be discovered in 1952, is rare in which there is the absence of H antigen and presence of anti-H antibodies. Patients carrying this blood can receive transfusion only from a person from within this group.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
