Of them, 71 individuals donated blood 40 times and 178 others donated 30 times. Seventeen organisations were presented blood donation medals by the Vietnam Red Cross.

Outstanding blood donors receive medals and certificates at a ceremony in HCM City on May 31.

Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the city Department of Health, said the number of voluntary donors had been increasing in recent years, helping save thousands of lives.

He called on organisations and individuals to participate in voluntary blood donation campaigns.

Nguyen Hoang An, deputy chairman of the HCM City chapter of the Red Cross, said the city received more than 273,490 units of blood from voluntary donors last year, which was 94.8 percent of the target.

The city held 30 training courses for 2,730 volunteers at 24 district voluntary blood donation centres, two universities and the Humanitarian Blood Donation Centre.

This year the city is looking to get 260,000 units of blood from donors.

To achieve the goal of increasing the blood donation rate, the city plans to enhance publicity to raise community awareness of the benefits of voluntary blood donation and safe blood transfusion.

It seeks to sustain the number of repeat donors and increase the number of people donating blood, especially youths.

At least 30 percent of government workers, Youth Union members and students, adding up to around 80,000 people, are expected to give blood.

The city's 60,000 medical workers are also encouraged to participate in blood donation campaigns.

Annual campaigns like Red Spring Festival and Red Blood in Summer, and others run to mark Voluntary Blood Donation Day (April 7) and the World Blood Donor Day (June 14) are organised throughout the year.

Around 61,700 units were collected from donors in the first quarter of this year.

Launching voluntary blood donation on Tet occasion and Red Spring Festival 2019

(BGO) – The Steering Board for voluntary blood donation (Steering Board) in the northern province of Bac Giang on January 13 joined hand with the provincial Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, representative office of Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper in Bac Giang, Steering Board for voluntary blood donation (VBD) in Yen Dung district to launch the VBD campaign on the Tet occasion and Red Spring Festival 2019 at the Yen Dung No.3 High School

 

Thousands donate blood on Red Sunday nationwide

The blood donation campaign “Red Sunday” was held at 70 places in various localities nationwide on January 13, aiming to collect about 50,000 blood units.

 

Nearly 70 blood donation points nationwide for Tet

There are now nearly 70 places for blood donation throughout the country in anticipation of the coming Lunar New Year, the longest festival in Vietnam, organizers of the drive announced at a ceremony in Hanoi on January 6.

 

39 cities and provinces respond to ‘Red Sunday’ blood donation programme

The annual ‘Red Sunday’ blood donation programme will take place in 39 cities and provinces across the country on January 6, 2019, heard a press conference held in Hanoi on December 26.

 

Health sector calls for blood donations ahead of Tet

The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion has called on the community, especially those with type O blood, to donate blood in an effort to avoid a shortage during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays.

 

Source: VNA