A UNIT of a rare blood- type Rh17 which was donated by a Sarawakian was urgently flown to Kuala Lumpur yesterday to save the life of a woman who required surgery for an ectopic pregnancy.
According to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Blood Bank, the donor, Vencent Voon Sin Thung, stepped forward after it was discovered that the patient, who requires immediate surgery, shared the extremely rare Rh17 blood type.
The blood was transported onboard a Pos Malaysia cargo flight yesterday over 2,000km from Sarawak to Kuala Lumpur.
“Rh17 is a blood type that is rarely found among the general Malaysian population, but a small portion of the Bidayuh ethnic group in Sarawak has this blood type.
“Individuals like the woman in Kuala Lumpur can only receive blood from donors with the same blood type.
"Should they receive blood from donors of a different group, it may result in an acute blood reaction that can endanger the patient's life," the blood bank said.
“We pray for the patient’s safety and speedy recovery.
“On behalf of the patient, we express our heartfelt thanks to our hero Vencent Voon Sin Thung.”
The blood bank also said one of the ways to identify those with rare blood-types is when they join donation drives.
“All donor data will be stored in the Rare Blood Registry to ensure quick response during emergencies.” – May 15, 2025
