Three Vietnamese donors with a rare blood type have helped save the life of a 64-year-old British man with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

The man was taken to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for emergency treatment on March 17. Doctors said as he suffered the ITP and high blood pressure and was at risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, he needed an urgent platelet transfusion.

The man has a rare blood type of O Rh(-) with just one in 1,000 Vietnamese people having a match while the hospital ran out the platelet at that time. It then called out for donors to roll up their sleeves.

Six donors came, with three suitable identified.

Getting the blood transfusion and suitable treatment, the man made a good recovery and was discharged from hospital on March 23.

He thanked the donors and the medical team for their timely noble act./.VNA