Students and volunteers donate blood at the Red Sunday festival in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The National Institute ofHematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) currently has about 16,000 units ofblood in its blood bank, including over 6,000 units of blood type O, accordingto Director Bach Quoc Khanh.
The total blood volume is sufficient to meet medical treatmentneeds in Hanoi and northern localities from now to at least three weeks afterTet (Vietnam’s traditional New Year) holiday, he said. The Tet holiday lastsfrom February 14 to 20.
The NIHBT needs a minimum of 1,500 units of blood dailyto provide for emergencies and medical treatment at 180 hospitals in Hanoi and northernprovinces. Of the amount, 45 percent need to be Type O, equivalent to about 700units.
On January 5, the institute reported to have only some6,000 units of blood available, raising concern over a severe blood shortageduring Tet. Blood type AB accounted for the smallest proportion of 5.8 percent,of 352 units, followed by type O which made up 16.8 percent. Meanwhile, therewere over 3,370 units of blood type B, representing 56 percent.
It has called on agencies, organisations and particularlythose with blood Type O to take part in blood donation campaigns. The appealhas met with warm response from the public.
Following Tet, the annual Red Spring Festival will beheld in a week, starting from March 10, Khanh noted. The blood bank expects tocollect 1,000 – 2,000 units of blood each day of the festival.-VNA
VNA
