People signed up as organ donors at a registration event held at Giac Ngo Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on December 23 (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - More than 300 people signed up as organ donors at a registration event held at Giac Ngo Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on December 23.
The event was organised by the Vietnam National Coordinating Centre for Human Organ Transplantation under the Ministry of Health and the Buddhism Today Foundation (BTF).
Trinh Hong Son, director of the centre, said there are some 16,000 patients in Vietnam in need of organs and 300,000 in need of corneas.
He said the centre is working with agencies to raise public awareness of the necessity of organ donation for scientific research and to save lives.
Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, head of the Giac Ngo Pagoda who is also chairman of the BTF, said the fund and the centre has held the event six times, with more than 2,000 people registered.
In 2018 alone, the number of donors, which included monks, Buddhists followers and people from all walks of life, was recorded at 1,000 after two registration events. Some families saw three or four members registering at the same time.
Cao Thi Le Hang, who heard about the event from other Buddhist followers, travelled from the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau to the city to register.
“My parents not only support me but also want to join me. Due to poor health, they can’t travel this time and will register at the next event,” she said.-VNA
VNA
