Staff of Can Tho City Center for Disease Control participate in blood donation to save lives - Photo: THAI LUY
The National Blood Center (National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion), the largest blood reserve center in the North, is currently in need of about 30,000 units of blood, of which 15,000 units are blood type O. In the coming months (July and August), the center needs 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the Northern region.
Demand exceeds supply
For nearly a month, Nghe An Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center has warned of a serious blood shortage, while the need for blood for treatment remains high (300 units/day). This situation is causing difficulties for the hospital and causing many patients, especially those with hematological diseases such as thalassemia, to have to wait for a long time. Instead of being transfused immediately as before, many patients have to wait, some have to wait 2-3 days, even 4-5 days to receive a blood transfusion.
According to the Nghe An Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center, the reason for the blood shortage is that since the end of May, localities in the province have not been able to organize any blood donation campaigns. "Previously, units organized about 5-6 campaigns, but since May, they have not been able to organize any. This has led to many treatment cases being delayed or postponed if relatives cannot be mobilized to donate blood to compensate," said a representative of the unit.
A survey by Tuoi Tre newspaper shows that blood shortages have been occurring since the beginning of June in many provinces and cities. Many hematology centers and hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi , Nghe An, Can Tho, etc. have issued notices calling on people, agencies, organizations, and businesses to join hands in donating blood voluntarily.
Dr. Pham Thanh Viet, deputy director of Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC), said that the amount of blood stored at the hospital's blood transfusion center has decreased slightly compared to the same period last year. Currently, the hospital still ensures enough blood for emergency care and treatment for patients at the hospital and in the Southeast provinces.
Regarding the reason for the slight decrease in blood supply at the hospital, according to Dr. Viet, it is due to the restructuring of the organization, and the temporary suspension of blood donation activities of local Red Cross societies. "The hospital has proactively prepared a contingency plan for this situation to always ensure there is blood for treatment and emergency situations," said Dr. Viet.
People donate blood voluntarily at the blood donation point in Hoan Kiem ward (Hanoi) after the call of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion - Photo: DUONG LIEU
Responsible for supplying blood to all public and non-public hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and some provinces in the West and South, the amount of blood received in early July at the Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital's blood bank (Ho Chi Minh City) decreased.
A hospital representative said that on average, the hospital's blood bank supplies 700 to 800 units of blood to other hospitals every day. Although there are certain targets and blood supply amounts, there are still days when there is a shortage of blood.
"Actual demand sometimes exceeds supply, leading to blood shortages. To address this situation and stabilize blood supply, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has directed departments and agencies to urgently establish blood donation steering committees at the ward and commune levels. The goal is to continue blood collection activities at the ward and commune level to ensure a more stable supply," said a hospital representative.
At the Ho Chi Minh City Humanitarian Blood Donation Center, Mr. Tran Truong Son - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society - also said that the reserve blood supply is lacking. The main reason for this situation is that the organizational system is changing and merging, lacking contacts of the Red Cross societies at the grassroots level, leading to the initial number of blood donation registrations being canceled.
"It will take until the end of July for the blood shortage situation to stabilize. At that time, the steering committees for voluntary blood donation in the city, wards and communes, the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society (new), the Red Cross societies in wards, communes and special zones will be established. At this time, the mobilization work will be strengthened and improved," said Mr. Son.
Blood is a medical product that cannot be produced and can only be obtained from humanitarian blood donations. Blood donations tend to decrease in the summer, but medical treatment cannot be stopped, and in many cases, blood is needed more, such as children with congenital hemolytic disease. I urgently call on people who are eligible to donate blood, because each unit of blood donated is a life that is given hope, a life that is extended.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh (Director of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Hanoi)
"A drop of blood given, a life left behind"
Having suffered from thalassemia for 16 years, Ms. Duong Bich Ngoc and her son (from Vinh Phuc) have to go to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (Hanoi) for blood transfusions every month. Ms. Ngoc said that she and her son were saved thanks to voluntary blood donors, with more than 800 units of blood transfused since 2008.
For the past four years, she has had to continuously take her child for blood transfusions due to leukemia. For those years, more than anyone else, Ms. Ban (living in Hai Phong City) understands the meaning of donated blood. Perhaps that is why every time she takes her child to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, she takes the time to donate blood when she is eligible.
She shared that every time she went to the hospital, she saw many sick children who needed a large amount of blood to be transfused to stay alive. "And every time I take my child to the doctor, I donate blood. I hope that with my donated blood, I can help in a small way, adding to the blood supply so that patients can continue their treatment," Ms. Ban said.
Present early in the morning of July 11 at the blood donation point at 18 Quan Su (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi), Ms. Cu Thu Huong (45 years old) and her daughter quickly filled out the form to prepare for blood donation. Ms. Huong shared that this was her 6th blood donation.
"I took half a morning off work to donate blood. A little bit of my time and blood can save another patient's life, so why not try?", Ms. Huong said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Long, an emergency nurse at a hospital in Hanoi, and his colleagues also arrived at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion early to donate blood. Due to the nature of his work in the emergency department, Mr. Long has encountered many cases of patients requiring urgent blood transfusions.
"I remember one time there was an emergency case due to an accident, the patient lost a lot of blood and needed a blood transfusion. At that time, some colleagues on duty with the same blood type volunteered to donate blood to the patient. As a medical staff, I always remind myself to devote myself to the goal of protecting the patient's health," Long shared.
And in the spirit of "a drop of blood given, a life saved", previously at the voluntary blood donation festival organized by the Youth Union of the Ministry of Finance in coordination with the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, more than 500 officials, employees, and youth of the Ministry of Finance and Minister Nguyen Van Thang also participated in voluntary blood donation.
"Many patients have been saved and kept alive by drops of golden blood. For many groups of patients, their biggest fear is the lack of blood for treatment, because without blood, they will lose the opportunity to receive timely treatment," a doctor shared.
Staff of Can Tho City Center for Disease Control participated in blood donation on July 8 - Photo: THAI LUY
Hospitals will become voluntary blood collection points
A few days ago, at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan - head of the steering committee - emphasized the need to join hands in voluntary blood donation to ensure blood for treatment and emergency care.
According to the Steering Committee's report, in the first 6 months of the year, nearly 894,000 blood units were mobilized and received nationwide. 23/65 provinces and units achieved over 50% of the annual plan. All levels organized 3,510 propaganda sessions on voluntary blood donation with more than 450,000 communication products and 1,080,729 people were informed.
However, according to Minister Dao Hong Lan, in addition to the advantages, blood donation mobilization still faces many difficulties. Especially in the context of restructuring the administrative apparatus and local government organization, changing the management model and merging administrative units significantly affects the organization, personnel and methods of implementing blood donation activities.
The Minister of Health requested that the steering committees at all levels urgently improve the organization of voluntary blood donation steering committees from the central to the communal level, ensuring qualified personnel and clear roles and responsibilities. Localities that have changed administrative boundaries need to review, supplement personnel and establish a close coordination mechanism between the health sector, the Red Cross and local authorities.
At the same time, the procedures for receiving, collecting, transporting, and regulating changes must be implemented to suit the changing realities of administrative boundaries in order to avoid long delays. In addition, the Ministry also assigned specialized units to guide and mobilize all hospitals to become voluntary blood donation receiving points (both public and private hospitals).
In Ho Chi Minh City, Vice Chairwoman of the City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy also signed a document requesting the People's Committees of wards, communes, and special zones to strengthen the direction of propaganda, mobilization, and organization of voluntary blood donation in 2025, and at the same time establish a steering committee to mobilize voluntary blood donation.
Donated blood bags have saved the lives of many patients in need of blood - Photo: D.PHAN
In 25 years, the whole country has received nearly 22 million units of blood.
According to statistics from the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, after 25 years of launching the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day on April 7, the whole country has collected nearly 22 million units of donated blood, 7.4 times higher than in 2000, the voluntary blood donation rate has increased from 30% to 98%, contributing significantly to saving the lives of millions of patients in need of blood.
If in 2000 the whole country only received over 236,000 units of blood, the voluntary blood donation rate was only 30%, then by 2010, the whole country received 674,000 units of blood, the voluntary blood donation rate reached nearly 85%. In 2014, for the first time our country reached the milestone of 1 million units of blood.
By 2024, the whole country mobilized and received more than 1.7 million units of blood, equivalent to 1.7% of the population participating in blood donation, the voluntary blood donation rate reached 98%; thereby providing more than 3 million blood products to more than 700 medical facilities.
Ho Chi Minh City is about to have a blood bank with a capacity of 1 million units of blood/year.
Yesterday (July 11), the Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital (HCMC) held a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the hospital's founding (1975 - 2025), the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the medical examination and treatment sector, and the 30th anniversary of performing the first stem cell transplant in Vietnam.
Dr. Phu Chi Dung, Director of the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital (HCMC), said that after 50 years of establishment and development, the hospital has made remarkable progress and become one of the two largest end-line hospitals in the country in hematology and blood transfusion.
The hospital is the unit with the leading blood bank in the country. In 2024, the unit produced and supplied more than 650,000 blood products of all kinds (including packed white blood cells, platelets, frozen plasma, cold plasma, granulocyte products...).
These blood products are supplied to almost all public and non-public hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and some provinces in the West and South. It is expected that from January 2026, the supply will be expanded to hospitals in Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Duong (old).
The good news shared by Dr. Dung is that Ho Chi Minh City will soon start construction on a new blood bank with a capacity four times that of the hospital's current blood bank. The hospital's blood bank currently has a capacity of 250,000 units of blood per year.
This new blood bank will be built on an area of 3,500m2, with a total investment of 699,482 billion VND, located at Tan Kien medical cluster.
Compiled by: X.MAI, D.LIEU
Who is eligible to donate blood?
According to health sector guidelines, all men and women from 18 to 60 years old, weighing 45kg or more, in good health, and without infectious diseases are eligible to donate blood.
Some notes when donating blood: the night before donating blood, do not stay up late (should sleep before 10pm), do not use stimulants, alcohol, beer... In the morning before donating blood, you should eat lightly, do not eat too much fat. Especially do not drink milk before donating blood and pay attention to end menstruation at least 7 days for women.
In addition to donating blood to save patients, many studies have shown unexpected benefits if you donate blood regularly such as creating a positive mental state, comfortable psychology; being checked, health advice, helping blood donors monitor and self-monitor their health. Donating blood also helps reduce iron overload in the body; reduces the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease; increases the process of burning calories and helps in weight loss.
Beware of calls threatening abnormal blood donation results
In recent days, many individuals or members of blood donation clubs in Ho Chi Minh City have continuously received calls informing them that their blood results are abnormal and asking for a CCCD/VNeID photo, and to add Zalo friends to "guide them in registering for examination and testing".
The Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital (HCMC) continuously announced that this is a high-tech criminal's trick to defraud blood donors in order to appropriate property.
The hospital recommends that people do not follow any instructions via phone or Zalo; do not provide personal information, CCCD, OTP code, face video; do not click on strange links, install apps of unknown origin; do not receive calls from strange numbers claiming to be the hospital. The hospital only sends official notifications via SMS with the brand name "BV.TMHH".
People absolutely do not pay money as requested or follow instructions via phone, text messages or access strange links. When receiving suspicious calls, stay calm, do not follow instructions and contact the Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital for verification via the following phone numbers: (028) 3957 1718, (028) 38555995, (028) 3955 7858, 0919 660 010.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bao-dong-can-kiet-nguon-mau-du-tru-hay-chung-tay-hien-mau-cuu-nguoi-20250712082854084.htm
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