Thai Nguyen launches blood donation drive

Thai Nguyen (VNA) - A blood donation drive kicked off in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on July 24, with the aim of collecting at least 1,150 units of blood.

The campaign is part of the “Hanh Trinh Do” (Red Journey) Programme in 2020, which 42 cities and provinces will respond to between June 6 and August 2.

It expects to collect more than 65,000 units of blood while raising public awareness about blood donations and Thalassemia (a genetic blood disorder) and developing a network of volunteers for encouraging blood donations in different localities.

According to Associate Professor and Dr Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, since the National Steering Committee for voluntary blood donations was created in February 2008, more than 12.3 million blood units have been donated, which means 1.5 percent of the population have engaged in the programme, saving millions of lives.

Severe shortages of blood during public holidays have now been improved, she said.

In Thai Nguyen, local people have donated nearly 182,000 units of blood over the past 12 years, with the ratio of its population donating blood rising to 2 percent in 2019 from 0.45 percent in 2008.

The province held 36 donation drives in the first half of the year and received more than 14,000 units.

The organising board also honoured 23 collectives and 34 individuals with outstanding performance in promoting volunteer blood donations last year, along with 50 outstanding blood donors./.