12th Spring blood donation drive started

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh beats the drum to start the ceremony (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) -Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh on February 23 beat the drum during a ceremony in Hanoi to officially start the 12th nationwide Spring blood donation drive.

 Doctors hope that the three-day drive, which will conclude on February 24, will attract 12,000 participants and help collect at least 5,000 blood units from donors.
 
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong said the need for blood is rising while drives for donation are not held regularly. As a result, Vietnam need to conduct more drives in this field at offices and in the community. Relevant authorities should work to improve the quality and safety of blood transfusions.
 
 This year’s drive sees various activities, like street walk, camping, music gala and folk games with the participation of many famous figures.
 
 First launched in 2008, the drive has made important contributions to addressing the blood shortage after the traditional lunar New Year. After 11 drives, over 67,300 blood units have been collected with the participation of more than 200,000 people.-VNA