Urgent Tasman Flight With Blood Sample

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31023, 31 March 1966, Page 1

Urgent Tasman Flight With Blood Sample

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March .30. The jet aircraft of two air forces and a team of research doctors will combine tomorrow in a mission that could mean life or death for a woman lying critically ill in hospital at Dunedin.

She desperately needs an operation that would entail a blood transfusion but belongs to a blood group so rare there are nd stocks in New Zealand. In the whole of Australia there is thought to be just six pints of the precious blood. Three pints are in Melbourne, two in Brisbane, and one in Darwin. Jets of the Royal Australian Air Force, answering a

please help call that went out from Dunedin last night, are speeding the vital blood to the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, Melbourne. A Canberra jet of the "Royal New Zealand Air .Force was last night rushing a sample of the sick woman’s blood to the laboratories.

If analysis shows that the woman’s blood is compatible with that held in the small quantity held in stock the whole six pints will be placed aboard the waiting Canberra and flown to Dunedin.

Dr. J. Cleminson, Medical Superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital, said last night: “The woman is gravely ill. Unfortunately, her blood belongs to an extremely rare group, one of the very rarest We have been quite unable to trace any in New Zealand.

“From inquiries we have made it appears they have just six pints of it in Australia.

“The co-operation we are receiving is wonderful. This

has become a team effort with the N.A.C., the R.N.Z.A.F. and the R.A.A.F. all assisting.”

N.A.C. flew the blood sample from Dunedin to Christchurch where it arrived at 7.20 p.m. It was collected by the Canberra which had flown to Christchurch from Ohakea and taken across the Tasman to Melbourne. The Canberra left Harewood at 9.20 p.m. and was expected to complete the journey in three hours in spite of strong head winds. At the controls was Flight-Lieu-tenant F. Lawry, of Blenheim. His navigator was Flying Officer P. Shearson.