Blood from Mumbai

In a remarkable act of compassion, four people from Mumbai have donated a rare group of blood, known as 'Bombay blood' to Mohammad Kamruzzaman, a victim of a traffic accident who needed it for a life-saving surgery. We thank the Indian authorities, especially Think Foundation, a Mumbai-based NGO that facilitated the export of the blood. In saving the life of Kamruzzaman, the benevolent act is saving an entire family as his ailing mother's medical treatment is dependent on his earnings. We also commend Arinoba Plastic Industries Ltd, the company where Kamruzzaman worked, for standing by him financially and psychologically through this difficult time of his life. 

The trans-boundary endeavour proves that our common humanity is stronger than our differences. There are, however, lessons to be learnt on both sides of the border.  Bangladesh needs a robust network for blood distribution the absence of which was felt by the victim's colleagues when they were told by our hospitals that they had never heard of this particular blood group. According to WHO, blood donation by 1 percent of the population can meet a nation's most basic requirements for blood. And on the Indian side, Think Foundation had to navigate through multiple bureaucratic hurdles to export the blood. Surely, rules can be eased in special circumstances like this, and ultimately they were. 

In the end, the message that gets through is this: That compassion transcends geographic boundaries, colour and creed. When Kamruzamman recovers from the surgery, it will not matter to him whose blood is running through his veins.