Voluntary blood donation helps save lives

Tran Minh Men (L) and another blood donor. Photo: Tuoitre.vn

In late July, 100 outstanding blood donors nationwide were honoured at a three-day programme in the capital city of Ha Noi.

Among them, there were 20 female delegates, 16 representatives from the education sector, eight medical staff, seven from the armed forces and three ethnic minorities. The oldest delegate was 61 years old and the youngest 22 years old.

There were 10 delegates who donated blood 19-29 times, 60 delegates 30-49 times, 20 delegates 50-69 times, eight 70-99 times, and two at least 100 times.

Tran Minh Men, a 52-year-old man, has donated blood 102 times over the past 22 years. He is now head of the Blood Bank Team in Nghi Duc commune, Tanh Linh district, the south central province of Binh Thuan.

He shared at a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh that he has also encouraged more than 3,000 others to participate in blood donation campaigns.

According to him, the greatest joy of those who participate in those campaigns is that patients are healthy and return to a normal life.

Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Meanwhile, Ho Kim Phuong from Ho Chi Minh city is the female donor with the most times donating blood at 78 times. She has participated in blood donation once every 3 months since 1997.

“Having witnessed many difficult and extreme situations, I always think "I can give what I can give, I can help someone with what I can". My blood is available in my body, I can help people, help life until there is no health left. My family has four members, and all of us have donated blood more than 250 times, my husband has donated 72 times and is now over the age to donate blood, my daughter 52 times, my son 48 times,” Phuong said.

Over the past 15 years, as many as 1,500 voluntary blood donors nationwide have been honoured.

Last year, over 1.43 million units of blood were donated nationwide, 99% of which came from voluntary blood donors.

Since early this year, about 900,000 units of blood have been collected through various campaigns.

VNA