Up to 800 units of blood were collected in one day in the northern province of Phú Thọ, according to the provincial steering committee of blood donation.–  VNA/VNS Photo Trung Kiên

PHÚ THỌ –  Up to 800 units of blood were collected in one day in the northern province of Phú Thọ, according to the provincial steering committee of blood donation.

Titled Giọt hồng đất Tổ — Red Drops of Ancestral Land, this year’s blood donation day attracted more than 1,000 people from offices, organisations and businesses across the province.

This was the third time the province has organized a blood donation day as part of the national blood donation campaign called Hành Trình Đỏ — Red Journey.

Together with 25 other provinces nationwide, Phú Thọ played an active role in the campaign.

After two years of taking part in the Red Journey, Phú Thọ had exceeded the target of receiving more than 1,000 units of blood each year, said the committee.

After three years, the blood donation days have attracted many thousands of people to donate blood. Some even donated up to 40 times, said Bùi Văn Huấn, president of the provincial Red Cross Society.

“For years, blood donation has attracted members of the community. The donated blood had helped not only provincial demand but also other localities nationwide,” said Huấn.

Hành Trình Đỏ (Red Journey) 2018 began on June 14 and lasted until July 15.

The campaign expected to collect at least 30,000 units of blood from volunteers in 26 provinces and cities around the country.

The campaign started in the Mekong Delta province of Cà Mau and then took place in 25 provinces and cities, including Kiên Giang, Cần Thơ, HCM City, Lâm Đồng, Đắk Lắk, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Khánh Hòa, Phú Yên, and Bình Định.

The National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, in co-operation with Việt Nam Red Cross Society and others, organised the campaign. 

The amount of blood donations met 60 per cent of demand, while the donations before 2013 when the campaign was first organised provided just 40 per cent of patients’ needs.

More than 120,000 units of blood have been collected via the campaign over the last five years. – VNS