Rare blood types can save lives in Malaysia
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In Malaysia, Fazrey, Wan Muhammad Faaiz Jazuli, and Wan Muhammad Ashraf Jazuli discovered they have uncommon blood types after donating blood.
Fazrey, age 35, learned his O positive blood includes a rare antigen combination. Faaiz initially received conflicting blood test results before doctors identified his blood as Parabombay A. His brother, Ashraf, also has the Parabombay type, differing from the rest of their family.
Having rare blood doesn't indicate a health problem, but arises from unusual combinations of antigens on red blood cells. Dr. Sarah Mat Noh, a transfusion medicine specialist, explained that a blood type is considered rare when it appears in about one in 1,000 people within a specific population, though prevalence can vary between groups. Finding compatible donors for those with rare blood can be difficult, so accurate identification and donor registries are crucial.
The National Blood Centre in Malaysia freezes rare red blood cells for up to 10 years, preserving them for patients who need a precise match. While rare donors aren’t always contacted, their blood can be life-saving when a compatible patient requires a transfusion. In Perak, authorities have identified four patients with the Bombay blood group and five with the Parabombay type, and currently have four registered Parabombay donors.
