Students and volunteers donate blood at the Red Sunday festival in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) currently has about 16,000 units of blood in its blood bank, including over 6,000 units of blood type O, according to Director Bach Quoc Khanh.
The total blood volume is sufficient to meet medical treatment needs in Hanoi and northern localities from now to at least three weeks after Tet (Vietnam’s traditional New Year) holiday, he said. The Tet holiday lasts from February 14 to 20.
The NIHBT needs a minimum of 1,500 units of blood daily to provide for emergencies and medical treatment at 180 hospitals in Hanoi and northern provinces. Of the amount, 45 percent need to be Type O, equivalent to about 700 units.
On January 5, the institute reported to have only some 6,000 units of blood available, raising concern over a severe blood shortage during Tet. Blood type AB accounted for the smallest proportion of 5.8 percent, of 352 units, followed by type O which made up 16.8 percent. Meanwhile, there were over 3,370 units of blood type B, representing 56 percent.
It has called on agencies, organisations and particularly those with blood Type O to take part in blood donation campaigns. The appeal has met with warm response from the public.
Following Tet, the annual Red Spring Festival will be held in a week, starting from March 10, Khanh noted. The blood bank expects to collect 1,000 – 2,000 units of blood each day of the festival.-VNA
VNA
