HCM City launches blood donation campaign ahead of Tet
Ho Chi Minh City on December 28 launched a voluntary blood donation campaign and Xuan Hong (Red Spring) Festival of 2019, amidst a shortage in blood reserve for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.
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According to Director of the City Blood Transfusion and Haematology Hospital Phu Chi Dung, the city is in need of about 32,000 blood packs as stock for Tet.
Doctor Dung said that the hospital’s blood bank supplies blood to over 100 hospitals in the city, providing about 600-800 packs to local health care facilities each day.
The demand for blood in the city has increased by 10-20% every year. In 2018, 230,000 blood packs were used. The demand in 2019 is estimated at 260,000 packs.
However, currently, the bank is keeping only 3,000 packs and needs another 32,000 packs from now to Tet, which is only about five weeks away.
Tran Truong Son, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross, said that the campaign, which will last until March 10, targets 52,000 blood packs (each pack containing 250-450ml) in the context of a high risk of blood shortage for the nine-day Tet holiday.
Along with calling for the community to donate blood, the campaign will encourage the involvement of 2,500 students and youngsters, as well as 2,000 local officials and workers.
Following the launching ceremony, the city organised four blood collecting posts, each is hoped to receive 100-130 blood packs on the day alone.
