The Đà Nẵng City Police Youth Union with a student in the city. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Dũng

ĐÀ NẴNG — Police officers in Đà Nẵng have been involved in a number of initiatives to help people with difficulties, earning high praise from the community.

'Blood bank'

Over the years, a 'blood bank', consisting of people who are always ready to donate blood, has been formed in Hòa Thuận Đông Ward in Hải Châu District.

The bank was an initiative by lieutenant colonel Cao Lê Duy Hùng, head of the Hòa Thuận Đông Ward Police.

“I have participated in blood donation campaigns and emergency blood donations for decades. Understanding the difficulties and dangers of patients with rare blood types and patients with blood cancer, I have encouraged officers and soldiers in the ward to always be ready to donate blood. The activity has spread, and in addition to the ward police, many people from other units have volunteered to participate," Hùng said.

After many years of operating unofficially, in March this year, the 'blood bank' was officially established, with the number of registered members reaching about 60 people.

The core is the Hòa Thuận Đông Ward Police, the Department A07 – Ministry of Public Security stationed in Đà Nẵng and the Việt Nam College of Medicine and Pharmacy Technology.

The group has coordinated with hospitals in Đà Nẵng. The blood donation activities are coordinated via an application on the members' mobile phones.

One of the first members to participate and always actively respond to blood donation activities is senior lieutenant Trần Anh Khoa.

Since the beginning of this year, Khoa and his colleagues at Hòa Thuận Đông Ward Police have donated platelets three times to Đỗ Hoàng Bảo Trân, 9, who suffers from blood cancer.

Khoa said: "Donating blood to save lives is a traditional activity of the police force, so I have participated in this many times. Before, I only donated during campaigns. Since joining the 'blood bank', I have understood the meaning of emergency blood donation to help critical patients with rare blood types. I sympathise more deeply and want to help them more."

Lieutenant colonel Hùng hopes to coordinate with many other agencies and units to expand the scale of the 'blood bank' to support patients in emergency cases.

Helping poor students

Another effective social activity of the municipal police youth union is helping children in difficult circumstances go to school.

Major Hồ Đình Trí, secretary of the municipal police Youth Union, said that the project has been implemented since 2019.

Each branch of the Youth Union supports one student facing difficulties.

Besides cash support of VNĐ300,000 (US$128) per month, the branch will provide additional support for clothes, learning tools, and means of transport, depending on the circumstances of each family.

The officers and soldiers also encouraged the children to study, and those with poor results.

To date, 18 students have been able to make strong progress.

One of the students is Ngô Vũ Ngọc Hân, 17, living with her aunt and uncle in Hòa An Ward, Cẩm Lệ District.

Hân is an orphan who lost her parents at a young age.

Knowing her situation, the Forces Building Branch supported Hân.

With the encouragement of the branch, Hân has been a good student for many years and received a scholarship from the Đà Nẵng Department of Education and Training.

Hân wishes to study in the public security sector so that she can contribute more to society in the future.

Summarising the project, the municipal police have awarded more than VNĐ200 million ($8,500) to disadvantaged students.

Major Trí said that following the success of this project, the Đà Nẵng Police Youth Union would implement a new project, expanding to other areas.

Under the project, all 26 youth union branches in the city will adopt and take care of 26 students until the age of 18.

This is one of the key activities of the municipal Public Security Youth Union in the coming term. — VNS