People donate blood at the Red Journey opening ceremony in Vĩnh Phúc Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hùng

VĨNH PHÚC — The eighth Red Journey of Vĩnh Phúc Province is underway with hopes that 8,000 donors will heed the call and donate 5,100 units of blood by the end of July.

The blood donation push started on Sunday with the Central Red Journey Organiser and the provincial steering committee for voluntary blood donation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Vĩnh Phúc Red Cross Society Trần Phú Phương said that in recent years, the voluntary blood donation campaign had become something culturally beautiful for all local people and its popularity had spread.

He asked for all State employees, armed forces and workers to continue promoting the spirit of kindness and actively participate in the donation programme.

This year is the eighth consecutive year that Vĩnh Phúc Province has joined in the Red Journey, attracting a large number of people from all walks of life. Over seven previous donation campaigns, the province has collected more than 16,000 units of blood.

From the start of the year, the province has organised 39 voluntary blood donation sessions, attracting more than 12,000 people and collecting more than 11,000 units of blood, thereby overcoming and limiting blood shortage for emergency and treatment in the area.

Lê Lâm, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and also Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, said that after 11 years, 58 provinces and cities have participated in the Red Journey. Millions of people volunteered to donate blood and total donations have exceeded 815,000 units of blood.

The Red Journey had gone beyond a simple voluntary blood donation programme and had become a profound social activity, a symbol of compassion and compatriotism, he said.

At the opening ceremony, a total of 52 individuals, four families and 18 groups were honoured for their outstanding achievements in blood donation this year.

They included Phùng Đức Việt, a worker from PHflex Vina Co Ltd who has donated blood 30 times and Nguyễn Thị Bích Thường, a teacher at the Xuân Hòa Junior Secondary School in Phúc Yên City, who has donated blood 35 times.

Along with couple Nguyễn Văn Hiến and Hồ Thị Hồng Gấm in Xuân Hòa Ward, Phúc Yên City, who have together donated blood nearly 100 times, Hiến 45 times and Gấm 48 times. — VNS