Blood donation during times of blood shortage.

Localities in central Vietnam are raising the alarm about depleting blood reserves for life-saving purposes as students (one of the important and active resources in the voluntary blood and platelet donation movement) return home for summer vacation. Faced with this urgent issue, many hospitals and blood donation centers nationwide are calling on medical staff, doctors, and the public to participate in humanitarian blood donation.

Doctors and nurses from Hue Central Hospital donated blood and platelets at the "White Blouse - Pink Heart" program.

A drop of blood given, a life saved.

The Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Hue Central Hospital supplies blood to 10 hospitals in Hue City and neighboring provinces and cities. On average, the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Hue Central Hospital needs to receive approximately 4,500 units of blood each month to supply these hospitals.

However, in June 2025, the amount of blood received only reached nearly 2,700 units, and by July 10th, only about 800 units had been collected. The prolonged blood shortage is threatening to disrupt treatment, especially for emergency cases, chronic patients, and high-risk pregnant women.

According to Dr. Hoang Thi Lan Huong, Deputy Director of Hue Central Hospital, the main source of voluntary blood and platelet donations has decreased due to students returning home for summer vacation or entering exam periods. Meanwhile, the demand for blood and platelets at hospitals remains high to serve emergency and treatment needs.

In response to this situation, the Party Committee and Board of Directors of Hue Central Hospital directed the Trade Union and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to coordinate with the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center to launch the "White Blouse - Pink Heart" program. This is a practical activity demonstrating the compassion and responsibility of medical professionals - those who wear the white lab coat.

The "White Blouse - Pink Heart" program, held in mid-July, attracted more than 350 doctors and medical staff from Hue Central Hospital who directly participated in donating 400 units of blood and platelets to save patients. Among them, many doctors and medical staff have donated blood 5, 10, or 15 times. Specifically, Dr. Nguyen Van Anh has donated blood 50 times; technician Do Van Minh has donated blood 40 times...

According to Doctor Hoang Thi Lan Huong, donating blood to save lives has become a beautiful act and a regular practice for the staff and doctors of Hue Central Hospital. Many medical professionals have participated in blood donation dozens of times and are ready to become a "living blood bank" to promptly treat and support patients in overcoming the brink of life and death. "With the message 'One drop of blood given - One life saved,' the staff and employees of Hue Central Hospital all hope to donate their blood to the blood bank, promptly meeting the demand for blood and quality blood products for the treatment and emergency care of patients."

Through this, we aim to inspire the noble spirit of medical professionals towards the community, as the renowned physician Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac once taught: "There is no profession more humane than saving lives...", shared Dr. Hoang Thi Lan Huong.

The unsung heroes

Every Sunday morning, members of the Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club (Hue City) gather at the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Hue Central Hospital. They quietly enter the donation room, each donating a unit of platelets – a portion of their blood to help those in need overcome critical situations.

Ms. Huynh Ngoc Trang, Head of the Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club, said that from an initial 10 members in 2020, the club now has 42 members and has been operating regularly for over four years. Unlike whole blood donation, platelet donation requires more time and advanced techniques, so donors must be in good health and regularly participate. Initially, everyone was hesitant. But after donating a few times, everyone felt their health stabilized and they have remained committed to the club to this day.

“Currently, members of the Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club not only donate platelets regularly every week to replenish the platelet reserve at the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Hue Central Hospital, but each member is also a ‘living blood bank,’ ready to donate platelets to save patients on the brink of life and death at any time. Many members are working, but when they hear that a patient urgently needs platelets, they rush to donate immediately without hesitation,” Ms. Trang said.

The Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club also participates in many other humanitarian activities such as visiting cancer patients, giving gifts to the poor at the hospital, and organizing awareness campaigns about platelet donation in the community. Ms. Le Thi Hien, President of the Hue City Red Cross Society, said that the Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club is a very commendable model. The club members do the most practical things. In critical cases, the club members are truly an important support for the health sector.

Members of the Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club arrive at the hospital and quietly leave after each donation, but the platelet units they give have helped save a patient's life on the brink of death. In this way, they become unsung heroes in the life-saving efforts of the ancient city of Hue.

“The Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club model is particularly valuable in the current context, where community awareness about platelet donation is still limited. This club has maintained stable operations for many years. We are looking for ways to expand this model, because having another group like this means more opportunities for patients to live,” said Ms. Le Thi Hien, President of the Hue City Red Cross Society.

VAN THANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/hien-mau-mua-hiem-nguon-post804643.html