Urgently replenish blood reserves for hospitals

People participate in voluntary blood donation at Dong Nai General Hospital. Photo: Hanh Dung

To ensure sufficient blood reserves for emergency and patient treatment, hospitals have been proactively coordinating to organize many voluntary blood donation campaigns.

No more need to "weigh, measure, and count" each unit of blood

Thuan My ITO Dong Nai Hospital (Tran Bien Ward, Dong Nai Province) has a scale of 150 beds. On average, the hospital uses 50-60 units of blood per month, mainly packed red blood cells.

Mr. Vu Trong Tam, Chief Technician of the Laboratory Department of Thuan My ITO Dong Nai Hospital, said: Before and after the province's merger, the hospital faced many difficulties in blood reserves due to limited supply from the Blood Transfusion Center of Cho Ray Hospital ( Ho Chi Minh City). Among them, blood groups A and O were in the greatest shortage. However, up to this point, the hospital's blood reserves have increased, meeting the needs of emergency and surgery at the hospital.

Similarly, although the blood reserve is not really abundant, up to now, the Hematology Department of Thong Nhat General Hospital no longer has to "have a headache" to "weigh, measure, and count" each unit of blood like before.

Specialist II Doctor Ho Thi Phuong Anh, Head of the Hematology Department, Thong Nhat General Hospital, said: About a month ago, the hospital was in a state of severe blood shortage, every day we had to go to the Blood Transfusion Center of Cho Ray Hospital to receive blood, but the amount was very small. Now the blood reserve is larger, the hospital no longer has to delay surgeries due to blood shortage.

At Dong Nai General Hospital, with flexible coordination and efforts of the medical team, especially the Department of Hematology - Blood Transfusion, the hospital is still ensuring enough blood for emergency cases.

Specialist Doctor II Le Van Thong Nhat, Head of the Department of Hematology - Blood Transfusion, Dong Nai General Hospital, shared: The department currently has about 200 units of blood in reserve for all 4 blood types O, A, B and AB, the blood reserve cabinet is being "filled" every day. After receiving nearly 500 units of donated blood on August 16, the hospital's blood reserve will continue to increase, meeting the needs of emergency and treatment at the hospital.

According to Dr. Nhat, the group of patients who need the most blood transfusions today are cancer patients, followed by chronic hematological diseases such as congenital hemolytic anemia, malignant blood diseases and some major surgeries.

Mr. Ha Trung Kien, Vice President of the Dong Nai Provincial Red Cross Society, called on the community to actively participate in voluntary blood donation to not only save the patient's life today, but also ensure medical security for the entire community.

Donate blood - give hope

Blood is not only a “special preventive medicine” in medicine, but is also considered an element of national health security. Since 2002, regional blood transfusion centers have been established to ensure adequate blood supply for provinces and cities across the country.

Vice President of Dong Nai Red Cross Society Ha Trung Kien said: In 2025, the society will coordinate with Cho Ray Hospital Blood Transfusion Center and related units to organize 150 voluntary blood donation campaigns with the goal of receiving nearly 50,000 units of blood. In August alone, 6,500 units of blood were collected.

According to Mr. Ha Trung Kien, currently, voluntary blood donation has become a regular activity, instead of just a movement as before. Many people consider voluntary blood donation an indispensable part of life. To ensure that voluntary blood donation takes place continuously, the association will advise the Provincial People's Committee to consolidate and improve the Provincial Voluntary Blood Donation Mobilization Committee. At the same time, advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct communes and wards to establish voluntary blood donation mobilization committees at the commune and ward levels to continue to propagate and mobilize people to actively participate in voluntary blood donation.

Having donated blood 30 times, Mr. Ngo Tien Dung (residing in Tam Hiep ward, Dong Nai province) said: Each time, I donate 350ml of blood. The most recent time was on August 15, I donated blood at Bien Hoa church. After donating blood, I feel healthier and happier, because my blood drop can help a patient in need of blood.

Arriving at Dong Nai General Hospital very early with the desire to donate blood, Mr. Le Van Truong (residing in Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province) confided: The previous times, I arrived at the blood donation point at 9am and the registration form was sold out, so this time I went at 7am. I hope meaningful actions like this can spread widely in the community, multiplying love and sharing.

To maintain a sustainable blood reserve, Dong Nai General Hospital recently worked with Cho Ray Hospital Blood Transfusion Center and Dong Nai Provincial Red Cross to deploy a fixed voluntary blood donation point at Dong Nai General Hospital from the end of August 2025.

Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Tat Trung, Head of Planning and Synthesis Department of Dong Nai General Hospital, shared: Initially, the hospital is expected to organize 3 blood donation sessions/week, then increase to daily and throughout the year. The goal is to receive 10,000 units of donated blood each year, supplying hospitals in the province. In addition to fixed blood donation points, the hospital will coordinate to organize mobile blood donation points in communes and wards throughout the province.

Hanh Dung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/y-te/202508/khan-truong-bo-sung-nguon-mau-du-tru-cho-cac-benh-vien-8d023ba/