People in Đắk Lắk Province donate blood following the Red Journey opening ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoài Thu

ĐẮK LẮK — The 12th national Red Journey programme, a drive to increase blood donations, started in Buôn Ma Thuột City, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk.

The ceremony was organised by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) and the provincial Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Associate Professor Nguyễn Hà Thanh, director of the NIHBT and also head of the programme’s organiser, said that after more than a decade, the Red Journey had become the largest blood donation campaign in Việt Nam.

To date, the programme has attracted millions of participants and received over 815,000 units of blood.

The 12th Red Journey this year will take place in 51 provinces and cities across two months, with a record number of localities now taking part.

“It can be agreed that the Red Journey has become a profound social activity, a symbol of compassion and compatriotism,” he said.

The slogan 'Red Journey – Connecting Vietnamese Blood' has become a rallying cry, calling for people to unite and join the campaign.

The Red Journey this year aims to tell more than a million people thinking about blood donation and hemolytic disease, receive at least 120,000 units of blood and get at least 8,000 volunteers to take part in helping out with humanitarian activities at local donation points.

At the opening ceremony, Bùi Thị Hòa, Standing Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign and Chairwoman of the Việt Nam Red Cross Association, urged the steering committees for local blood donations to set goals and targets to develop plans in accordance with actual conditions.

Groups who have already answered the call to become donors and have responded positively are the young, students and the armed forces, while businesses and religious orders have been less responsive. Local areas, she said, should promote forms of communication about the humane values ​​of blood donation and how organ donation can save people's lives.

Hòa expressed her gratitude to the compassionate people who are willing to share precious drops of blood to save lives, calling on all people to register to donate tissues and organs in the spirit of 'Opening kindness - Spreading love - Lighting faith - Continuing hope - Sowing seeds of life.'

Chairman of the Đắk Lắk Province People's Committee awarded certificates of merit to four individuals from the NIHBT with achievements in the province's blood donation in the period 2014-24 and honoured 56 outstanding blood donors this year.

Following the actual opening ceremony, more than 1,000 people in the province registered to donate blood while 600 units of blood on the day itself. — VNS