25,000 blood donors join Red Spring Festival Blood donation day eases shortages over Tet holiday
The Hanoi Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) and the Hanoi Youth Blood Donation Mobilisation Association held a meeting and a blood drive entitled “The Gift of April” in Hanoi on April 7.
The event expects to attract 700 people to register to donate blood and collect 500 units of blood.
NIHBT Director Nguyen Anh Tri said over the past 10 years, blood donations have increased by 10-15 percent, but still only meet around 45 percent of the demand.
*** More than 600 volunteers donated more than 250 blood units at a gathering in response to Blood Donation Day in Ninh Binh city on the same day.
Le Van Cuong from Ninh Khanh Ward, Ninh Binh city, said he feels donating blood to save lives is important so he has given blood eight times since 2007.
Chairman of the provincial Red Cross, Pham Minh Huy, said blood donation is a charitable humanitarian activity that has gradually become a voluntary movement and blood drives are now attracting a large number of local people.
*** Also on April 7, nearly 1,200 officials, workers, soldiers, students and pupils in Son La province donated around 100 blood units.
The provincial Red Cross plans to organise six blood drives in 2012 aiming to have 1,000 people donate more than 600 units of blood.
*** More than 500 officials, workers, soldiers, and students attended a Blood Donation meeting on April 7 in Vinh Long province.
Vinh Long has collected 3,100 units of blood so far this year and hopes to achieve a total of 7,400 by the end of 2012
*** Blood drives were also held in Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Dien Bien, Binh Dinh and Soc Trang provinces, which have collected thousands of units of blood.