Blood donation drive targets to receive 8,000 units of blood

The biggest annual blood donation drive, known as the ‘Red Spring festival’, was launched at the National Conventional Centre in Hanoi on February 28 with a target to receive 8,000 units of blood.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan visits the blood donors at the event (Photo: vtc.vn)

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan beat a ceremonial drum to launch the event.

Under the slogan ‘Sharing red blood, giving hope’, the event aims to ensure adequate supply of blood for emergency treatments at hospitals after the Lunar New Year while raising public awareness on the need for voluntary blood donations.

The event is being held in almost all localities nationwide until March 15. Over its eight editions, the drive has received 42,000 units of blood, helping to ease blood shortages at hospitals.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that over the past two decades, voluntary blood donation programmes in Vietnam have gained encouraging results which have been acknowledged internationally.

She stressed that the success is significantly contributed to by the Red Spring Festival – an initiative of the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion along with the help of Hanoi authorities.

Minister Tien, who is also Head of National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, highly appreciated blood donors and volunteers for their contributions to the success of the event over its past eight editions.

She also spoke highly of the enthusiastic participation of youngsters and students in blood donation campaigns.

(Source: VNA/NDO)