in the yesterday press brief on the Red Sunday 2019 organized by Tien Phong newspaper, head of the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusions (NIHBT) Professor Bach Quoc Khanh affirmed Red Sunday has played an important role in the health sector’s treatment for years.
Blood donation has developed for years but donors are mostly students and young people; as a consequence, the health sector usually faces blood shortage before and after Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year) and summer when students return home and focus on studying.
Accordingly, the Red Sunday is to encourage more young people and people to take part in blood donation. Mr. Khanh said it is expected that the country needs 150,000 blood units in January for treatment; the festival is hoped to collect 50,000 blood units.
Some cities and provinces expected to receive much blood donation inlcude Hanoi with 6,000 blood units and HCMC with 3,000 blood units. In addition Thanh Hoa, NGhe An, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam and Hai Phong are planned to have over 1,000 blood units each.
Editor in Chief of Tien Phong Newspaper Le Xuan Son said that the event contributes in solving blood shortage in medical facilities before, in and after Tet holidays.
The main event will debut on January 6 in Hanoi; however, voluntary blood donation have already taken place in some localities and organizations. Specifically, a two–day voluntary blood donation festival was opened in Hanoi University of Science and Technology on December 26 with the aim to collect around 3,000 blood units.
Statistically, in 2018, blood donation approximated 1.4 million units countrywide meeting over 60 percent of treatment and reserve demand.
