Red Journey: Received 3,719 units of blood and nearly 6,000 people registered to donate blood

The Organizing Committee of the Red Journey - a blood donation campaign across Vietnam said that up to this point, the Red Journey has mobilized nearly 6,000 people to register to donate blood and received 3,719 units of blood.

On July 7, the Red Journey officially began its journey to mobilize blood donation across Vietnam, starting from the South and passing through 3 provinces/cities: Ca Mau, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City (from July 7 to 11, 2013). The journey included a series of dense activities, having a great impact on the development of the voluntary blood donation movement and social security activities such as: propagating congenital hemolytic anemia (thalassemia) to about 1,800 people in the community; calling for nearly 1,000 text messages to support thalassemia patients, organizing 3 music nights in Ca Mau, Can Tho City and Ho Chi Minh City, visiting historical sites... In particular, spending more than 1,000 hours propagating blood donation to about 10,000 people, mobilizing more than 3,200 people to register to donate blood, successfully organizing 3 large blood donation festivals.

Humanistic meaning of Red Journey 2013 (Photo: Organizing Committee)

In Ca Mau, the "Dat Mui Red Drop" festival (July 7) attracted about 700 people and young people to register to donate blood and received 328 units of blood. On July 9, in Can Tho, the "Tay Do Red Drop" festival (July 9) with more than 1,000 people registering to donate blood, 721 units of blood were received. On July 10-11, in Ho Chi Minh City, the activities of the delegation left a deep impression on many people in the city named after Uncle Ho, the "Drop of Humanity Red Drop" festival was successfully organized, about 1,500 people registered to donate blood, receiving 1,010 units of blood. Thus, in the South, after 3 days of blood donation festival, the total amount of blood received was 2,059 units; in addition, the activities were carried out effectively, suitable for each locality. Sharing about this, Vice Chairman of Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee Le Dung affirmed: "We highly appreciate the significance of the Red Journey, the journey not only contributes to improving voluntary blood donation in the locality but also brings profound social significance. I believe that the provinces/cities where the Red Journey is coming will pay attention and respond". Preliminary assessment of the journey in the South, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri - Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Head of the Organizing Committee of the First Red Journey/2013 said: "With the good initial results that the Red Journey has achieved, we believe that this journey is a right and necessary direction to create a real "push" in the work of propaganda, mobilizing voluntary blood donation, overcoming the shortage of blood donors every summer".
After the success in 3 southern provinces/cities: Ca Mau, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City with 2,059 units of blood received; from July 11 to 13, 2013, Red Journey stopped in the Central Highlands with 2 destinations: Lam Dong and Dak Lak.

Launching the Red Journey (Photo: TH)

In Lam Dong, the “Red Drops of the Flower City” festival (July 12) attracted the participation of 1,500 people, over 800 people registered to donate blood and received 584 units of blood. On July 13, in Dak Lak, the “Love of the Central Highlands” blood donation festival (July 13) had 1,500 people registered to donate blood, 1,076 units of blood were received, bringing the total amount of blood received in this region to 1,660 units; of which 1,559 units of blood were transferred to the Hanoi Regional Blood Transfusion Center. Up to this point, through the two regions of the South and the Central Highlands, Red Journey has mobilized about 6,000 people to register to donate blood, receiving 3,719 units of blood.

The highlight of the Red Journey here is the careful preparation of the locality as well as many new features in the propaganda activities. For the first time, the image of 100 young people on tandem bicycles appeared along the streets of Da Lat city to promote blood donation; and in Buon Ma Thuot city, nearly 500 Dak Lak youth union members participated in a parade to promote blood donation and thalassemia. Commenting on the journey, Ms. Mai Hoan Nie Kdam - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation in Dak Lak province said: "The Red Journey is a good initiative, with many humane meanings; this is an opportunity for the people of Dak Lak in particular and people in many localities that the journey passes through to gain a deeper understanding not only of the meaning of donated blood drops, but also of useful information about thalassemia".

Acknowledging the blood donation festivals in the Central Highlands region, Master Pham Tuan Duong - Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee of the Red Journey said: "This result has shown the affection and responsibility of the people of the Central Highlands towards the people of the whole country; it is very touching to see many people traveling tens of kilometers to donate blood. The Red Journey has contributed to the coordination of blood nationwide, many patients in the Northern region will feel warm when receiving the drops of red blood of the "love of the Central Highlands people".

Temporarily saying goodbye to the Central Highlands mountains and forests, to the compassionate people of the Central Highlands, the journey continues to the South Central region including the provinces of Binh Dinh, Quang Nam and Da Nang (July 14-17). Along with the activities: mobile propaganda, consulting on voluntary blood donation, consulting on congenital hemolytic disease, the delegation will visit and give gifts to patients at Da Nang Cancer Hospital. Blood donation festivals will be held in turn: "Binh Dinh - Martial spirit, donating blood to save people" (July 15) with an expected 1,000 units of blood, "Red drops of Quang land" (July 16) with an expected 500 units of blood and "Heart of the Han River" (July 17) with an expected 1,000 units of blood. At each stop, the Red Journey will continue to light the fire of love of compassionate hearts, so that many patients can have more hope to live../.

According to (CPV) – LH