VOV staff participate in a humanitarian blood donation drive in March 2018.

“Because I have thalassemia, once a month I have to go to the hospital for a blood transfusion. I have been doing this for 6 years. Recently there has been a shortage of blood type O, causing patients like me to worry,” said Vu Thi Huyen of Thanh Hoa province. Huyen is one of more than 20,000 thalassemia patients across Vietnam who survive thanks to blood donations from healthy people. Most of the blood for emergency aid and treatment are provided by unpaid volunteers.

59-year-old Le Trung Truyen of Hung Yen province is a frequent donor. In the past 10 years, 17 members of Truyen’s family including a son, two daughters, 2 sons-in-law, a younger sister, and several grandchildren have regularly donated their blood to help those in need.

Truyen said: “I don’t have much money to help others. All I have is blood. I hope that my blood will help save the lives of patients with fatal diseases. Sometimes I give 450 milliliters of blood. Blood donations don’t affect the donor’s health. I will keep donating till I’m beyond the age to do so.”

So far, Truyen has donated 20 times. His second daughter, Le Thi Bich Diep, 31 years old, has donated nearly 30 times. His two sons-in-law have each donated about 20 times.

Other outstanding blood donors, include Le Dinh Duat’s family in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan district, Huynh Thi My Dung’s family in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa province, and hundreds of members of the "Live Blood Bank" and the "Rare Blood Donors Clubs", who are ready to go to the hospital at any time to make a blood donation to save patients. 44-year-old Nguyen Huu Thuan, who works for District 1’s Urban Order Management Team in HCMC, has donated blood for 26 years, setting a national record of more than 100 donations. 

“We’re very moved by blood donors who have given blood so many times. The act shows their sense of responsibility to the community and their readiness to give of themselves for their countrymen. Their deeds should be honored and encouraged,” said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien.

Blood donation drives are spreading. Student Dang Vu Cat Tuong of Can Tho University said this is his 6^th year of donating.

“First, I think donating blood makes me stronger and stimulates more new blood. Second, the donation helps others who may be in critical condition and desperately need blood for their recovery,” said Tuong.

Although the rate of blood donation is 1.6% of the population, 3 times as much as 10 years ago, it only meets 80% of the total demand.