On the afternoon of February 20, the 17th Spring Festival opened at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Unlike previous years, this year's program started on the 9th day of Tet and lasted for 8 consecutive days.

Before the official opening, more than 2,500 units of blood were donated. It is expected that the entire Spring Festival will receive at least 8,000 units of blood.

With the message "Spring Blood Donation - Multiplying Happiness", the program hopes that every healthy person is willing to donate a precious unit of blood on the occasion of the New Year, contributing a lucky money gift, bringing luck and happiness to the patient, the community and the blood donor himself.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, said: "Unlike thousands of spring festivals taking place across the country, this is the only festival where participants do not pray for anything for themselves, but come to donate precious drops of blood - a part of life for the sick. That has made the Red Spring Festival special, unique, and distinctive, and has created lasting vitality, leaving many impressions and memories with the participants."

Accompanying and contributing significantly to the success of the Spring Festival, Mr. Trinh Xuan Thuy, Chairman of the Hanoi Youth Blood Donation Campaign Association, shared: "Even on the days close to Tet, when many people have returned to their hometowns to celebrate Tet, thousands of volunteers of the Association still volunteered to promote and mobilize blood donation at public places. At the same time, the Association also created a strong communication campaign on social networks with the participation of 3,000 volunteers. Through such meaningful and humane activities, young people have the opportunity to experience and have more positive thoughts about life, and become more involved in activities for social security."

Previously, during the 7-day Lunar New Year holiday (from the 29th to the 5th day of the Lunar New Year), 1,628 people came to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion to donate blood and platelets.

Also today, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion inaugurated a permanent blood donation site at the National Blood Center after upgrading and repairing. This is the third location after the permanent blood donation site at the Agricultural General Hospital and the Ba Dinh District Red Cross.