Tehran Times� - 161 people out of all blood donors in Iran have been identified as having �very rare� blood types, said the spokesperson of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO).

According to Bashir Hajibaigi, another survey within the framework of �national plan of rare blood types� revealed that out of 40,000 blood samples collected from different ethnic groups all over the country, 1700 people have �rare blood types�, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

A rare blood type is any blood type that is difficult to find in the population where you may need that �rare� type of blood.

An individual�s blood type is considered to be �rare� if only one other person in 1,000 lacks the same antigens or shares the same uncommon antigens. A person�s blood type is considered �very rare� if only one person in 10,000 has or lacks similar blood antigens.

�We selected a group of people with rare and very rare blood types based on our requirements and facilities; then we refrigerated samples of their blood, so that we can use them whenever a patient in any healthcare center needed such rare blood types,� Hajibaigi explained.

�By using the refrigerated samples, we managed to send 121 samples of rare or very rare blood types to the patients who needed them since the beginning of last year [March 2017],� he further noted.

According to Hajibaigi, the IBTO has set up blood bank refrigerators in the immunohematology departments and is running the �national plan of rare blood types� to ensure that patients who need rare blood types will have instant access to them.

He added that the blood bank refrigerators will soon be equipped with a data storage system so that a comprehensive network of data about people with rare and very rare blood types are established.