AN SOS MESSAGE - Plea to include blood group’s column in CNIC

By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI - Voicing concern over shortage of a rare type of blood, known as `Bombay’ blood group, health experts urged the federal government to include blood group’s column in computerized national identity cards (CNICs) without any further loss of time.

“In fact, shortage of the rare `Bombay’ blood group has highly perturbed people suffering from blood disorder in Sindh,” experts opined.

Renowned hematologist, Dr Saqib Ansari, said that this rare blood type was first discovered among some people in Bombay (now Mumbai) in India. He said that hematologists have, so far, detected only seven to eight `Bombay’ blood group cases across Pakistan.

He deplored that 90 per cent population of the country did not know about their blood group as there is no concept of voluntarily donation of blood in the society.

Referring to an under treatment Thalassaemia patient,  Affifa, Dr Ansari said her problems have been compounded not only because she is suffering from the disease, but also due to her rare `Bombay’ blood type.

“There are only few donors in the country who share this blood group and patients like Affifa survives on blood transfusions, but it becomes a huge problem when one has a rare blood group and a matching donor is not available,” he added.

Giving break-up of the people having different blood groups in Pakistan, he said that there are 35 per cent people who have O+ blood group, 30pc (B+) group and 15 to 20pc (A+) group). Besides, 5 to 10pc people have A-B group, while there are only 2 to 5pc people who have A, B, O negative blood group. 

He demanded of the government to make it mandatory for all citizens of the country to mention their blood types on CNIC as it will help in identifying donors whenever need arose.

Meanwhile, Dr Sarfraz of Hussaini Blood Bank said that of around 17 or 18 people identified, so far, as having rare `Bombay’ blood group in the country, four belonged to the Parsi community.

He claimed that there is an acute shortage of `Bombay’ blood group donors mainly because majority of people are not aware about their blood group.