Local residents donate blood at the blood-donation campaign Hành Trình Đỏ (Red Journey) that kicked off on Thursday in HCM City. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng

HCM CITY — Thousands of local residents in HCM City participated in the annual blood-donation campaign Hành Trình Đỏ (Red Journey) that kicked off on Thursday in HCM City.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Trần Trường Sơn, chairman of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society-HCM City chapter, said many voluntary blood donation campaigns have been organised to ensure a stable blood supply for scheduled operations and emergencies at more than 150 health facilities in the city.

Despite travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the blood supply in the city was kept stable last year thanks to voluntary blood donation campaigns, Sơn said.

The Red Journey, one of largest-scale blood donation communication and mobilisation campaigns, marked its tenth anniversary this year, attracting hundreds of thousands of voluntary blood donors to give more than 40,000 units of blood, he said.

The campaign also helped raise public awareness on the need for blood donors, he added.

Nguyễn Trung Tuyến, 37, who works for the Vietnam News Agency Television Centre in HCM City, came to the blood donation centre at the Youth Cultural House early on Thursday morning to donate blood.

“Giving blood is a beautiful deed that can save lives,” said Tuyến ,who has donated blood five times.

Nguyễn Trung Tuyến, 37, who works for the Vietnam News Agency Television Centre in HCM City, donates blood at the blood-donation campaign Hành Trình Đỏ (Red Journey) that kicked off on Thursday in HCM City. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng

More than 760 units of blood were donated in the first day of the campaign, according to the HCM City Humanitarian Blood Donation Centre.

It is expected to collect around 4,000 units of blood during the campaign that runs until July 10.

It is being organised by the Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation in HCM City in coordination with the Việt Nam Red Cross Society-HCM City chapter.

At the event, twelve people received the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit for their repeated voluntary blood donations. Some of them with the rarest blood types had donated blood more than 50 times. — VNS