Duong said on February 18 that as of February 17, the amount of blood stored at the institute, one of the biggest blood banks in the North, had just over 2,700 units left.

It seriously affects emergency treatment for patients who need blood in the North, he said.

Although the blood bank was stocked up for the Lunar New Year (Tet), the prolonged holiday had depleted reserves.

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At a blood donation program. Photo: tuyengiao.vn

Duong said the institute had sent an urgent message to the Ministry of Health, the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation and provincial health departments and hospitals to inform them of the shortage and ask for temporary solutions.

The institute has called for a blood donation campaign from February 17-24 to help overcome the shortage.

Ngo Manh Quan, Director of the Blood Donation Department at the institute, said the Hanoi Association of Young Blood Donors had set its own goal for each branch to contribute 8,760 blood units.

Blood donors can go to the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion on Pham Van Bach street in Cau Giay district from 8am-8pm every day.

For the nearest blood donation site visit https://www.nihbt.org.vn.

Source: VNA