Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan (front, left) and President of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society Bùi Thị Hoà (front, right) presents certification for exemplary blood donors honoured at the ceremony in Hà Nội on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation held a ceremony in Hà Nội on Saturday to honour 100 outstanding blood donors in 2024.

This is the 16th year this event has been held since the Prime Minister decided to establish the committee in 2008. To date, 1,600 donors have been honoured at the national level.

The 100 delegates honoured this year have donated a total of 4,470 units of blood. Prominent among them, two have donated blood more than 100 times.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan, head of the steering committee, said that the 30-year journey of the blood donation movement is full of love among the people, with many lives saved thanks to the donation.

She expressed her hope that the honourees will continue to inspire and spread the spirit of sharing and love among the community to have more and more voluntary blood donors and to save more lives.

Last year, over 1.55 million blood units were collected, 99 per cent of which came from volunteer donors, who accounted for more than 1.5 per cent of the population.

Since the beginning of this year, the country has received nearly 800,000 units through various campaigns and events, helping basically ensure blood needs for emergency work and patient treatment. — VNS