Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, Vice Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council and head of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, speaks at the press conference to introduce the festival (Photo: http://dangcongsan.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Red Cross Society andthe Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) will work together to organise a blood donationand organ donation registration festival at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in SocSon district of Hanoi on August 4.
Speaking at a press conference on August 2, Most VenerableThich Thanh Quyet, Vice Chairman of the VBS’s ExecutiveCouncil and head of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, said that so far, about400 people have registered to donate their blood and 50 others have signed upfor organ donation.
He said that the organising board has called for Buddhist followersnationwide to response to the programme.
Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Hematology andBlood Transfusion Bach Quoc Khanh said that the event will be held every year,making the Vietnam Buddhist Academy a destination for all blood and organdonors.
Currently, Vietnam has seen a high demand for organtransplantation. As of July 2019, 25,000 people have registered to donateorgans, tissue and body parts after their death. So far, more than 3,000 organtransplantations have been conducted.
Over the years, communications on tissue and organ donationhave seen positive results, with great contributions from Buddhist dignitariesand followers.
In May this year, nearly 600 monks, nuns and followersregistered to give away their organs and tissue at Giac Ngo pagoda. The “DaoPhat ngay nay” (Buddhism today) Foundation run by the Giac Ngo pagoda hadpreviously organised the programme three times in 2015, 2016 and 2017, with thetotal number of registering people reaching 1,360.-VNA