48 times donating rare blood to save lives.

Mr. Pham Phu My, 44 years old, from Quang Ngai , has donated rare AB blood type 48 times and is one of the 100 exemplary blood donors honored in 2023.

On July 27th, at a ceremony held at the National Institute of Blood Transfusion and Hematology ( Hanoi ), Mr. My shared: "I hope to have good health so that I can continue donating blood and platelets for many more years, contributing my small part to saving the lives of patients."

AB is a very rare blood type; only 6.6% of the Vietnamese population has it, according to statistics from the National Institute of Blood Transfusion and Hematology. AB blood cells contain both antigens A and B, but the plasma contains no antibodies. Therefore, people with AB Rh+ blood type can receive any blood type but can only donate to people with the same blood type.

Anh My vividly remembers receiving a phone call from a stranger, his voice urgent, "Please help me." A pregnant woman with blood type AB was in critical condition, but there wasn't enough blood for a transfusion. Out of over 200 members of the blood bank, only six had blood type AB, and unfortunately, they had just donated blood a short time before. Anh My and his wife, also with blood type AB, donated enough blood to help the woman have a successful cesarean section, and both mother and child were healthy.

Mr. Pham Phu My has donated blood for emergency situations many times. Photo: Truong Thinh

Mr. My is one of 60 people honored this year who have donated blood 30-49 times. Among the 100 honored individuals, the oldest is 61, the youngest is 22, and they have donated a total of nearly 4,500 units of blood and platelets. Many others have donated even more than Mr. My. There are 20 people who have donated 50-69 times, 8 people who have donated 70-99 times, and two people who have donated 100 times or more.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, stated that apheresis plasma donation is common in many countries. In Vietnam, plasma donation is not yet as widespread as platelet donation, but it is a trend that the hematology and blood transfusion sector is aiming for.

"Unlike whole blood donation, platelet donation requires higher standards for donors such as weight, platelet count, and a longer donation period, but in return, repeat donations can be made after only 2-3 weeks," Mr. Thanh shared.

Outstanding blood donors of 2023 were honored on July 27th. Photo: Le Nga

In Vietnam, after the Covid-19 pandemic, voluntary blood donation has remained stable in both quantity and quality, according to Mr. Thanh. In 2022, over 1.43 million units of blood were collected and received. 99% of the blood came from voluntary donors, equivalent to nearly 1.5% of the population participating in blood donation.

In the first few months of the year, the whole country received nearly 900,000 units of blood, providing enough for medical facilities.

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