Despite an increase in blood donations in the country, the possibility of a lack of blood supplies over the upcoming Tet holidays is very high, said a health official on January 6.
Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, director of the Hemoglobin and Blood Transfusion Institute in Hanoi, said current blood supplies meet just 40 percent of demand. And around 17,916 liters of blood, or 80 percent, come from donors.
Bui Van Them, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Humanitarian Blood Donation Center, said the organization plans to launch a blood donation campaign in next February to increase supplies for the busy Tet holiday period.
The city now uses an average of more than 300 blood units (one unit is equal to 200ml) a day but the number rises to around 400 units per day during Tet.
