Volunteers at the launch of the fifth Hanh Trinh Do (red journey) at the national trig point GPS 0001 in Ca Mau (Photo: cand.com.vn)Ca Mau (VNA) – A torch was burnedat the national trig point GPS 0001 at the Ca Mau cape cultural park on July 1to kick off the fifth Hanh Trinh Do (red journey), a nationwide annual blood donation drive.
This was the fourth time the southernmost provinceof Ca Mau was selected as the starting destination of the programme in thesouthern region.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, NguyenAnh Tri, General Director of National Institute of Hematology and BloodTransfusion (NIHBT), stressed the importance of the event in helping ease bloodshortage during summer and encouraging people engage in the humanitarianactivity.
On July 2, the campaign ran its first blooddonation festival in Ca Mau, before heading to Kien Giang. With support from 80volunteers, the journey will cover 18 provinces and cities in the southern andcentral regions.
As part of the programme, another group of60 volunteers will embark on its red journey across 10 northern localitiesstarting July 10. It is scheduled to meet the group from the south in Hanoi onJuly 27.
The red journey lasts until July 31 and isexpected to collect at least 45,000 blood units.
Last year, the drive toured 27 cities andprovinces nationwide to provide advice on blood donation and thalassemia – agenetic blood disease to 500,000 local people and collected 20,790 units ofblood.
Since its inception in 2013, the campaignhas gathered nearly 80,000 units of blood. -VNA
VNA
