Many young people donate blood at the Chủ nhật đỏ 2021 (Red Sunday) blood donation festival at the Hà Nội University of Technology in Hà Nội on Sunday. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

HÀ NỘI — Thousands of people, mainly young people and students, attended the Chủ nhật đỏ 2021 (Red Sunday) blood donation festival, which opened at the Hà Nội University of Technology in Hà Nội on Sunday.

With the theme "Donating blood to save people - Your Life and My Life", the annual event is organised by Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, the National Steering Committee on Traffic Safety and the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusions (NIHBT).

The annual event has become a meaningful humanitarian activity on a national scale, aiming to handle blood shortages during the Tết (Lunar New Year) period.

Speaking at the event, Lê Xuân Sơn, Editor-in-Chief of Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, Head of the Red Sunday 2021 organising committee, said that this year's Red Sunday was held early and will end later than every year with an aim to collect more blood for emergencies and treatment during and after the coming Tết.

A student donates blood at the13th Red Sunday in Hà Nội on Sunday.— VNS Photo Thanh Hải

“Since the end of November 2020, a series of blood donation festivals have been organised in 33 localities of 19 provinces and cities across the country. As of January 16, the 13th Red Sunday has received more than 27,000 blood units. We expect to receive at least 50,000 blood units at 80 localities of 43 provinces and cities nationwide,” said Sơn.

“The voluntary blood donation movement in Việt Nam has achieved encouraging results over 26 years. Blood collection has increased to more than 1.4 million units of blood in 2020 from more than 100,000 blood units in 1994,” Deputy Minister of Health Trần Vần Thuấn said at the event.

"It is blood donation events such as Red Sunday that have helped the health sector and saved patients who need blood transfusions before and after the Lunar New Year,” said Thuấn.

According to Thuấn, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the whole country received more than 1.4 million units of blood, of which 99 per cent was donated by voluntary blood donors. The rate of repeated blood donation has reached more than 45 per cent. Donating blood with a volume of 350ml and above reached nearly 50 per cent. The proportion of the population participating in blood donation has reached about 1.5 per cent. Thanks to that, the collected blood amount has met the needs of emergencies and treatment for patients around the country, saving lives and bringing confidence to millions of patients and their families.

Miss Việt Nam 2020 Đỗ Thị Hà, the runner-up and others attend the Red Sunday 2021.— VNS Photo Thanh Hải

“However, Thuấn said, the demand for blood transfusion is now increasing. Therefore, ensuring enough blood for emergency and treatment needs is always a great pressure for the health sector, while the amount of blood received in our country can only meet about 75 per cent of treatment needs.”

Second runner-up of Miss Việt Nam 2020 Phạm Ngọc Phương Anh said that attending the Red Sunday festival for her as well as all young people was a very meaningful activity to contribute to help patients.

“A small action can have an important impact. I hope that young people will help needy people by actively participating in community activities such as Red Sunday blood donation festival," Anh said.

Vũ Quang Chiến, a fourth year student at the Hà Nội University of Technology, said that this was the fifth time he donated blood, including twice during the Red Sunday festival.

“I know Red Sunday was very meaningful event, so I also want to contribute a very small part to help patients who need blood. I hope Red Sunday will spread more,” said Chiến. — VNS