Touching story on 260km journey carrying blood to urgently save people

A touching story about a team of medical staff quietly working behind the scenes, urgently traveling 260km to bring drops of blood to save lives.

From 3:30 a.m., members of the mobile blood collection team of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center (HCMC) must prepare and transport supplies onto the vehicle to serve the blood collection work, departing at exactly 4 a.m. - Photo: THANH HIEP

260km is the journey to receive and deliver blood bags from people in remote areas to Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center (HCMC). This is not simply a mobile blood collection trip, but a journey to give life to patients in need of blood in the context of decreasing donated blood sources.

In the August mobile blood collection plan of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center, Phu Rieng Commune Culture - Sports Center (Dong Nai province) is both the farthest location and the place with the largest number of volunteers registering to donate blood with about 650 participants.

The bus departs at 4am, not 1 minute late allowed

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , according to reports from blood receiving units in the city, the amount of donated blood has recently decreased, only meeting about 70 - 80% of the demand, directly affecting treatment if blood donation is not increased. Faced with this risk, in addition to fixed blood donation points, mobile blood donation buses have promptly supplemented the precious blood source for patients.

At 4am on August 13, when the streets were still dark, the mobile blood collection team of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center (HCMC) with 25 doctors, nurses and medical technicians hurriedly traveled about 130km to the Cultural - Sports Center of Phu Rieng commune ( Dong Nai province).

This is an unchangeable time, there can be no delay, because right at the blood donation point, there are hundreds of people waiting, ready to donate their precious blood to save lives.

To make it on time, many members of the group had to travel long distances in the dark. Some traveled 25km from Can Gio, others from Cu Chi, 35km, so they had to leave home between 2:30 and 3:00 in the morning.

The work not only takes place from Monday to Friday, but many weeks the team also works on Saturdays and Sundays to contribute more precious blood bags. Because of the long journey and harsh working hours, this job is almost exclusively undertaken by men.

In order for the mobile blood collection trip to run smoothly, especially at locations far from the center, preparations began the day before. In addition to their professional duties of receiving blood, members also take on "logistics" duties when transporting supplies, arranging beds, checking blood bags, testing equipment, etc.

After more than three and a half hours of traveling 130km, at around 7:30, the group arrived at the Phu Rieng Commune Cultural and Sports Center. As soon as they got off the bus, without anyone telling them, the members immediately rolled up their sleeves to transport the equipment for the blood collection.

Arriving earlier than the group to grasp the situation, Master Nguyen Van Thanh, head of the blood receiving group of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center, and the local organizing committee reviewed all the preparations. Immediately after, 25 members of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center also arrived and quickly dispersed to their assigned positions.

Inside the center, hundreds of people (mostly cadres, teachers, armed forces...) were coordinated by the Dong Nai Red Cross Society to sit upright, ready to donate blood to save lives. For local people, the blood collection team of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center has become familiar because this is not the first time they have come to the place to receive blood.

3 hours of urgent work, brought back 426 units of blood to save lives

At around 7:40, the members of the Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center team all started working. Among the stages, the busiest was the blood receiving area with 15 nurses on duty at the same time. Each nurse managed two beds. In one session, a nurse could receive 40-50 blood donors, their hands almost never stopping.

As a pioneer in the humanitarian blood donation movement at school, teacher Trinh Thi Giang (Long Binh Kindergarten, Phu Rieng commune) and many colleagues were present at the blood donation session on the morning of August 13.

Having participated many times before, Ms. Giang still remembers some familiar faces from the reception team of Cho Ray Hospital - people who are always skillful and have a "cool hand" in taking veins, making each blood donation easy and trustworthy.

Ms. Giang added that in her first year working at the school, she was the only one participating, but now she has "pulled along" many colleagues to join hands in donating blood to save lives.

"We have a blood donation campaign group. When we receive information from the local Red Cross about blood donation campaigns, we call on and encourage each other to participate," Ms. Giang excitedly said.

In an urgent atmosphere, doctors, nurses and medical technicians of Cho Ray Hospital coordinated with the Red Cross of Dong Nai province to receive donated blood from people. After only 3 hours, the team received 426 units of blood (each bag has a volume of 350ml) donated.

"Although this number has not reached the initial expectation of 650 units of blood, each bag of blood is extremely valuable, contributing to timely replenishment of the decreasing blood reserve," said the head of the blood receiving team.

At the blood receiving area, 15 nurses were on duty at the same time, each managing two beds. After 3 hours, the team received 426 units of blood (each bag 350ml) - Photo: THANH HIEP

Carefully preserve every drop of blood

Immediately after receiving, the bags of fresh red blood were neatly arranged on trays and carefully transferred to a refrigerated vehicle, traveling more than 130km to Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center.

Including the round trip, the team traveled 260km to bring back precious drops of blood, before they were brought to the blood product production department, preserved and finally delivered to patients.

This is not just a blood donation trip, but a journey to "nourish" life, continuing the hope of saving the sick.

Blood bags are like priceless gifts given from the hearts of donors. They were collected by the group after a long day of hard work and dedication.

"Leaving home at 2am, I'm used to it, nothing special"

Among the 15 nurses participating in receiving blood at the Phu Rieng Commune Culture and Sports Center on the morning of August 13, Nguyen Van Ut was the only one who had to take the ferry to get to the hospital.

With 15 years of experience in mobile blood collection trips, his schedule starts very early, around 2am, to catch the first ferry at 2:45am. However, the ferry's operating time is sometimes unstable, making his journey to the hospital more difficult and sometimes late compared to the group's schedule.

While the mobile reception work is assigned according to the center's schedule, his wife is a nurse at another hospital, so the daily care of the children depends largely on the grandparents' support. Despite being busy and facing many difficulties, Ut always flexibly arranges so that the common work is not interrupted.

Throughout their career, the group has experienced countless memories that make members laugh as they recall them, such as the time when their car broke down in the middle of the road, or the time when they expected to receive 1,000 units of blood but in reality only received 250...

As the first to arrive and the last to leave, Mr. Thanh said that the mobile blood collection schedule of Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center is always carefully, tightly and scientifically planned. This plan can be weekly, monthly, or even yearly.

According to Mr. Thanh, the biggest challenge in organizing mobile blood donations is finding a spacious, airy location, avoiding cramped spaces and having to climb many stairs...

"Receiving blood in the morning is very important, because this is the time when blood donors are in the best spirit and health. At the same time, blood needs to be transported to Cho Ray as soon as possible to produce highly effective blood products, especially those that need to be frozen," Mr. Thanh explained.

Doctors must consider blood transfusions more carefully.

Cho Ray Blood Transfusion Center is currently responsible for receiving, screening, preparing and supplying blood and blood products to more than 60 hospitals in the Southeast provinces, Cho Ray Hospital and a number of hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City.

Dr. Tran Thanh Tung - head of the hematology department and in charge of the Blood Transfusion Center at Cho Ray Hospital - said that in the context of a decrease in blood supply, treating doctors will have to consider blood transfusions more carefully, prioritizing severe cases, emergencies or urgent surgeries.

According to Dr. Tung, if the staffing of the voluntary blood donation steering committee at the commune and ward levels is not completed quickly, the blood supply may decrease and affect medical treatment.

The health sector calls on agencies, units, localities and people to actively participate in voluntary blood donation, contributing to ensuring a safe, continuous and effective blood source for treatment, especially during the transition period of the current organizational system.

XUAN MAI - THANH HIEP

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cau-chuyen-cam-dong-tren-hanh-trinh-260km-mang-mau-khan-truong-cuu-nguoi-20250827091259224.htm