Deputy PM calls for helping hands to ease blood scarcity

Binh, who is also head of the National Steering Committee for Traffic Safety, was addressing the 10th “Red Sunday” in 2018 jointly held by the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper, the committee and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in Hanoi on January 21.

The Deputy PM noted that acute blood scarcity has still happened, especially during holidays and festivals, putting a lot of pressure on the health care sector.

He lauded the holding of the “Red Sunday” as it enables tens of thousands of patients to have chances of survival and unite with their families during the upcoming traditional New Year festival.

Last year, more than 1.2 million blood units were gathered, meeting more than 70 percent of blood need for the needy, he noted.

He said he is moved by many people who donate their blood many times and encourage others to follow suit. He also praised agencies, organisations and volunteers for persuading the community to actively give blood.

The 10th annual “Red Sunday” event has been launched from December 2017 until the end of January 2018 in 31 localities with more than 60 donation places, with an aim to deal with blood shortage in the upcoming Tet festival.

As of January 15, the programme was responded by 19 localities with 23,392 blood units gathered, reaching 67 percent of the programme’s target of 35,000 blood units for 2018.