Rare Rh17 blood flown from Sarawak to KL saves woman's life
Published on: Fri, May 16, 2025 Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. KUCHING: A rare unit of Rh17 blood donated by a Sarawakian man was urgently flown to Kuala Lumpur to save the life of a woman with an ectopic pregnancy, Sarawak Tribune reported. Sarawak General Hospital's Blood Bank confirmed on Facebook recently that donor Vencent Voon Sin Thung came forward after the patient was found to share the extremely rare Rh17 blood type.
Advertisement The bank explained that Rh17 is seldom found in Malaysia, except among a small number of the Bidayuh ethnic group in Sarawak. It noted that people with rare blood types can only safely receive transfusions from donors with the same blood group, or risk a dangerous acute transfusion reaction. The blood bank thanked Voon for his lifesaving act and urged prayers for the patient's recovery. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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