A member of the Red Journey’s organising board presents flowers to a blood donor at the blood donation event in HCM City on June 22 (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City collected a total of 1,500 blood units on June 22
as part of a nationwide blood donation campaign “” ().
Starting on June
13, the campaign has been held in Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh,
Can Tho, Lam Dong, Dak Lak and HCM City. To date, more than 7,500 blood units were
collected during this year’s campaign.
The organising
board of the Red Journey campaign puts a programme themed “Globin Cipher” in
activities in Ho Chi Minh City and several other localities with the aim to raise
community awareness of thalassemia – a genetic blood disorder that can lead to
heart failure and liver problems.
Doctor Ngo Manh
Quan, from the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion,
stressed the importance of the work, especially for young people and those
about to get married, as around 2,000 Vietnamese babies are born with
each year.
Luu Hoang Phuc, a resident in HCM City’s Phu Nhuan district, who has donated
his blood 26 times, said: “Each blood donation takes around one hour, but can
save someone from critical conditions. I feel very happy”.
“Red Journey” is
a cross-country campaign initiated by the National Steering Committee for
Voluntary and the National Institute of Haematology and Blood
Transfusion in 2013, aiming to raise public awareness of the need for blood
donation as well as thalassaemia, a genetic blood disorder that can lead to heart
failure and liver problems, and to address the shortage of blood for medical
use.
Over the past
five years, more than 120,000 blood units were collected, helping to reduce
blood shortages during summer and saves lives of thousands of patients across
the country.
This year’s
campaign will conclude on July 14, passing through 26 cities and provinces and
expected to collect at least 30,000 blood units. In 2017, the campaign
collected over 38,000 blood units nationwide.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
