Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh speaks at the festival. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – More than 500 Buddhistmonks, nuns and followers registered for blood donation while 150 people puttheir names on the list of organ donors at a festival in Hanoi on August 4.
The blood and organ donation registration festival was jointly held by theVietnam Red Cross Society (VRC), the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (VBA) and theVietnam National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.
Addressing the event, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, Vice Chairman of theVietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Executive Council and head of the VBA, saidfrom now on, blood and organ donation will form part of the academy’s regularactivities.
In his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh reviewed the over2,000-year development history of Buddhism in Vietnam, as well as thereligion’s companionship with the nation.
He suggested the Ministry of Health, the VRC and the VBS maintain and roll outthe programme at all Buddhist facilities nationwide, and emphasised the need tostep up the communication work in order to raise public awareness of blood andorgan donation.
Currently, Vietnam has seen a highdemand for organ transplantation. As of July 2019, 25,000 people haveregistered to donate organs, tissue and body parts after their death. So far,more than 3,000 organ transplantations have been conducted.
Over the years, communications on tissue andorgan donation have seen positive results, with great contributions fromBuddhist dignitaries and followers.
In May this year, nearly 600 monks, nuns andfollowers registered to give away their organs and tissue at Giac Ngo pagoda.The “Dao Phat ngay nay” (Buddhism today) Foundation run by the Giac Ngo pagodahad previously organised the programme three times in 2015, 2016 and 2017, withthe total number of registering people reaching 1,360.-VNA
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