This year's program, drew the participations of ministries, agencies, and departments from 43 provinces and cities nationwide.
Speaking at the event, Le Xuan Son, Tien Phong Newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief and Head of the Organizing Board, said that the 13th Red Sunday blood donation program runs from November 2020 to March 2021 following up the Pink Spring Festival.
He also hoped that people throughout the country will donate blood to save patients’ lives.
According to Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, before, during, and after Tet holiday, there often a severe shortage of blood for treatment at hospitals.
Apart from blood in general, he called on agencies, units and people to donate platelets so that hospitals can ensure supplies of both blood and blood products for patients.
Addressing the Red Sunday program starting at the Political Officers Training School, Colonel Phung Van Lap underlined that the program has become a national scale event with great significance for the community.
Implementing the directive of Ministry of National Defense, over the past years, leaders of the Political Officers Training School has asked its agencies and units to boost information dissemination among teaching staff, officers, and cadets on social responsibility to community and the meaning of blood donation.
Along with the blood donation festival, the Organizing Board also visited and presented gifts to disadvantaged patients; organized camps, music exchanges for young people, students and blood donors, so on.
Many singers, artists, models and beauties have also joined the program.
Moreover, 80 blood donation venues are expected to collect over 50,000 blood units.
By the end of January 16, the program collected over 20,000 units of blood at 30 blood donation points.
Translated by Quynh Oanh