Meet the man who travelled 500 km to donate blood

Blood donation is commonly regarded as a noble act of kindness, and scores of people come forth every day to save lives in India. And then, sometimes, individuals go the extra mile to do their part for this fundamental healthcare need. A case in point – Dilip Barik, who hails from Rourkela, recently travelled over 500 kilometres to Odisha’s Berhampur city to donate his blood and save a new mother’s life.

The uncommon circumstances of blood donation came about as the woman, Sabita Raita, had the rarest of rare blood group, 'Bombay A +ve'. A tribal resident of Mandasingi village in Ganjam district of Odisha, Sabita had recently given birth to a girl through Caesarean section, at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital.

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According to a report by The Hindu, Sabita’s health condition had turned critical after the delivery, with her doctors stating her condition had deteriorated due to excessive blood loss and a low haemoglobin level. Meanwhile, the newborn baby was admitted to a nearby special care unit, where her weight was found to be below normal.

While initiating Sabita’s treatment the doctors realised she had the rare blood group (which was first discovered in Mumbai, and hence the name). With donors in the immediate vicinity ruled out due to the extreme rarity of the blood group, Dr Rashmita Panigrahi, in charge of the blood bank at the hospital, set out to find a match.

First scouring the blood banks of the city and the State, Rashmita had no luck. Not giving up, the doctor took to social media and sent out messages on WhatsApp groups, urging users to help her and Sabita.

Finally, Dilip, a member of a Bhubaneswar-based blood donation group, responded and rushed to Berhampur. Reaching the hospital on Saturday, he donated his blood, which was immediately used to treat Sabita. According to the hospital authorities, the health of both mother and child had stabilised.

Speaking to the Odisha Post about his gesture, Dilip—who is the rare one in 2,50,000 persons in India with the blood group—said,

“I really feel happy about saving someone’s life by donating blood.”

(Edited by Athirupa Geetha Manichandar)

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