"Xuan Hong" (Pink Spring) blood donation festival kicks off in Hanoi (Source :VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The ninth “Xuan Hong” (Pink Spring) blood donation festival kicked off at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on February 28 with the presence of Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.
The event was organised by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), the Hanoi Steering Committee for voluntary blood donation, and the Hanoi Association of Youth Blood Donor Recruiters, aiming to raise public awareness of voluntary blood donation.
An estimated 25,000 people, of whom 1,000 were volunteers, participated on the first day of the month-long event, which is expected to collect nearly 8,000 units of blood.
Launched in 1997, the annual festival has collected nearly 42,000 units of blood.
Earlier on February 27, more than 400 doctors from 16 hospitals in the city took part in a parade to call for blood donations.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, highly valued the role of youth and students in blood donation events.
She said that over the past 22 years, the blood donation movement in Vietnam has gained considerable achievements, particularly with the success of the Pink Spring Festival, an initiative by the NIHBT and Hanoi authorities that aims to tackle blood scarcity after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.
The minister also wished the institute and the city to continue the initiative, encouraging people in all walks of life to donate their blood to save lives.
This year’s festival will also feature art performances with the participation of famous singers and artists.-VNA
