Banks of Life

Before they could even have dinner, members of the rare blood type club received a notification from the club's leader in their private Zalo group: a member was about to give birth and might need a blood transfusion; members should prepare themselves to donate blood when called upon.

Upon receiving a notification from a member of the Rare Blood Type Club, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hien proactively left his phone number, and since then, he hasn't dared to take his eyes off his phone. Mr. Hien said that people with rare blood types can donate blood to others but cannot receive blood from other sources. Therefore, we are like a family, ready to share and help each other when needed. Although we work in many different locations, when we receive requests for blood donations to save lives, including patients in other areas, we don't hesitate to travel long distances, ready to go where they are needed, even late at night.

Mr. Hien recounted that he accidentally discovered he had the rare Rh- blood type during a voluntary blood donation many years ago. After researching this blood type, he proactively contacted rare blood type clubs nationwide to share information and support each other when needed. When a rare blood type club was established in Ninh Binh , Mr. Hien immediately joined. This club serves as a meeting place and sharing platform for people with rare blood types in the province, and also acts as a quick link to donors when patients with rare blood types require urgent blood transfusions.

To date, the club has grown to nearly 20 members, regularly exchanging information and readily donating blood to save lives. Drawing on years of experience in the rare blood type club, and with the professional advice and support of the Provincial Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, club members actively promote, encourage, and call upon people with the same blood type to participate in activities and save lives. The club also connects with many other rare blood types nationwide to share information and support each other.

Over the past 12 years, since his first voluntary blood donation, Mr. Do Cong Chien (from the Department of Health ) has donated blood 23 times. For Mr. Chien, each blood donation brings unforgettable emotions. "It's a joy, a feeling of excitement, and pride in having done something good, something every citizen needs to do and should do. Of the 23 blood donations, the one I remember most vividly is the emergency blood donation in 2013. That day, on my way home from work, I received a call from the family of a pregnant woman in critical condition at the Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, needing an urgent blood transfusion. Without hesitation, I quickly went to the hospital to donate blood to save her life. Other volunteers joined me. The timely blood donation saved the pregnant woman from a critical situation," Mr. Chien shared.

Presenting the decision to establish the HMTN White Blouse+ Club.

In 2023, when the White Blouse+ Voluntary Blood Donation Club was established according to Decision No. 95/QD-BCĐ dated July 4, 2023, of the Provincial Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, Mr. Do Cong Chien was assigned the role of club chairman. At the time of its establishment, the club had 40 members.   This includes civil servants, public employees, healthcare workers, and anyone with similar aspirations and conditions to participate in activities promoting, mobilizing, and organizing voluntary blood donation.

After its establishment, the "White Blouse +" Voluntary Blood Donation Club issued regulations, created a logo for identification, and distributed uniforms to its members. The club regularly participates in blood donation activities organized by the Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation at all levels and by various organizations. In addition, club members actively promote the club's activities on social media platforms such as Zalo and Facebook; they have also established a fan page and a Zalo group for the club.

Since its establishment, the club's leadership and members have actively participated in blood donation, while also mobilizing the community to participate in blood donation activities. Simultaneously, they have actively expanded their network, recruiting new members. As a result, after six months of operation, the club now has 80 members, including healthcare professionals and numerous volunteers from across the province and neighboring areas.

The "White Blouse +" Volunteer Blood Donation Club has promoted, mobilized, and organized its members to participate in 7 emergency blood donation programs organized by the Provincial Red Cross Society and 1 program hosted by the Club. As a result, 150 units of blood were collected, contributing to timely emergency care and treatment for patients. With a large number of volunteers, the Club has also proactively secured a supply of live blood for emergency blood donation drives as well as blood donation campaigns launched by the Provincial Red Cross Society.

The results of the voluntary blood donation movement of the "White Blouse +" Blood Donation Club in Ninh Binh have helped supplement the precious blood supply, contributing to meeting the needs for blood in emergency care, treatment for patients, and community health care. At the same time, these activities have spread the beautiful humanitarian meaning of voluntary blood donation, demonstrating the spirit of mutual support, compassion, and willingness to share and volunteer for the community. For these contributions, in 2023, the White Blouse + Blood Donation Club was awarded a certificate of merit by the Vietnam Red Cross Central Committee .

Over the years, the voluntary blood donation movement in the province has achieved impressive results. For example, in 2021, the province set a record for receiving over 10,000 units of blood. In 2023, the entire province received 12,300 units of blood, reaching 137% of the target set by the Provincial People's Committee. Of this amount, Ninh Binh Provincial General Hospital received over 7,000 units, with the remaining blood being shared with Viet Duc Friendship Hospital and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

Contributing to this success is the very special role of the members of the 19 living blood bank clubs, including: the Rh- rare blood type club; the Provincial Police, the Youth Union of the Provincial Police, and the Youth Union of the Provincial Agencies and Enterprises Bloc; and several living blood bank clubs in localities such as Yen Khanh, Ninh Binh City, Tam Diep City, Nho Quan District, and Yen Mo District… Whenever they receive a notification urgently needing a large number of blood units to save patients, members of the living blood bank clubs do not hesitate to overcome difficulties and immediately come to donate blood with the spirit of putting the patient's life and health first.

Through the effective operation of these clubs, the list of volunteers participating in blood donation continues to grow. Many noble acts of kindness continue to spread, contributing to giving a chance of life to patients unfortunately suffering from serious illnesses.

Text and photos: Dao Hang

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/nhung-ngan-hang-cua-su-song/d20240301104134600.htm