Small actions, big meanings at the beginning of the year

In the first days of 2025, as a tradition, H. Chung (28 years old, Hanoi) went to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion to donate blood voluntarily. It is called a tradition because since he was 18 years old, he has maintained this meaningful activity, some years he invited his friends to join, some years he came with his lover to contribute drops of charity. For Chung, donating blood is a joy, a happiness and a way for him to contribute a small part to help patients in need of blood.

“Everyone has their own way of celebrating Tet, but for the past 10 years, I have kept the habit of donating blood during Tet. This is not only a voluntary act but also a meaningful New Year wish - wishing patients in need of blood more chances to live, wishing myself a new year full of health so that I can continue to share”, H.Chung confided. And so, year after year, the journey of giving drops of love continues, becoming an indispensable activity in his first days of the year.

Not only H.Chung, M.Anh (32 years old, Hanoi) also maintains the habit of voluntary blood donation every Tet holiday. 2025 marks the fourth year she has donated blood on this special occasion. As a person working in the medical industry, she clearly understands that at the end of the year as well as the beginning of the new year, the demand for blood for emergency and treatment is always high, while the main force in blood donation work is students on vacation. Therefore, M.Anh is even more aware of the necessity of blood donation during this period.

In recent years, more and more people consider voluntary blood donation as an activity that brings luck to themselves and their families at the beginning of the new year. In the past, many people were hesitant and worried about donating blood at the beginning of the year, even thinking that "losing blood" would be unlucky. However, now, that thinking has gradually changed. More and more people of all ages and social classes proactively go to blood donation points on the first, second, and third days of the Lunar New Year, considering this a humane act, both helping the community and spreading the spirit of volunteerism. Not only going alone, many people also invite friends and relatives to participate in blood donation, spreading this small but meaningful act into a good habit every New Year.

Thanks to the positive change in community awareness, every year, the Spring Festival organized nationwide by the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation in the campaign "Voluntary Blood Donation on Tet Holiday - Spring Festival" has achieved impressive results. After 17 events, this event has attracted hundreds of thousands of blood donors across the country. In Hanoi alone, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion has received nearly 120,000 units of blood, showing that this is the largest blood donation program every early spring, imbued with the spirit of humanity and love for humanity.

This year, the 2025 Spring Festival continues to make its mark with 8,928 units of blood donated at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and fixed blood donation points. This is not only an impressive number but also contains many meanings. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh - Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, the Spring Festival is not simply a blood donation activity, but also a vivid picture of love, where each drop of donated blood carries a story, a hope. This is where we can feel the power of humanity, the connection between people, between hearts that beat together.

Spread the voluntary blood donation movement

In fact, the voluntary blood donation movement in Vietnam has been witnessing strong development. This journey not only demonstrates the spirit of solidarity and deep compassion of the people but also reflects the positive change in the awareness and culture of the Vietnamese people. This success is thanks to the innovation and creativity in the approach, organization and mobilization of campaigns, helping the voluntary blood donation movement to spread more and more widely.

The application of technology, social networks and modern media has helped the message of blood donation reach a large number of people, attracting increasing participation. Blood donation events are organized more and more professionally and creatively, creating a deep impression in the journey of connecting Vietnamese blood. Many important campaigns such as the Spring Festival, Summer Blood Drops, Red Journey, Red Sunday, Pink Drops White Blouse, Voluntary Blood Donation Day and International Blood Donor Day have become annual activities with great influence, contributing to maintaining and promoting the movement.

In particular, the voluntary blood donation movement has entered a phase of sustainable development with the expansion of fixed blood donation points. This model helps people donate blood regularly without having to wait for major events, thereby ensuring a stable blood supply for emergency and treatment work. As a result, the rate of blood reception at fixed blood donation points is increasing, playing an important role in blood supply, especially during peak times such as Tet and summer.

Thousands of people donated blood at the Red Spring Festival. (Photo: National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion)

It can be seen that, after 31 years since the call for "humanitarian blood donation", the voluntary blood donation movement in Vietnam has made great strides. From the early days with a modest amount of blood received, up to now, the amount of donated blood has increased significantly. In 2024 alone, the whole country mobilized and received 1,747,926 units of blood; equivalent to 1.7% of the population. Of which, the voluntary blood donation rate reached over 98%; the repeat blood donation rate reached over 63%; the rate of blood units with a volume of 350ml or more reached about 68%.

However, despite many encouraging results, the blood donation movement has not really developed in depth. The number of blood donors is still low compared to the total population and the blood donors are mainly union members, youth of districts, towns, university and college students and volunteer groups. This leads to a shortage of blood during summer and Tet holidays.

As a result, during peak seasons, medical facilities still face blood shortages, directly affecting emergency care and treatment for patients. At times, blood reserves can only meet a small portion of demand, posing many challenges for the health sector. Despite having modern medical equipment and a team of highly skilled doctors, without a ready blood supply, patients' lives are still threatened.

Therefore, in order for the voluntary blood donation movement to continue to be maintained and developed sustainably, all levels of associations and sectors need to step up propaganda work to raise people's awareness of the humane meaning and noble purpose of blood donation. At the same time, it is necessary to improve and strengthen the effectiveness of the activities of blood donation propaganda and mobilization clubs, reserve blood banks at all levels, as well as establish rare blood type clubs.

Organizing events such as the Spring Festival, Summer Blood Drops, Red Journey, Red Sunday, etc. well also plays an important role in attracting community participation. In particular, it is necessary to expand the target group for repeat blood donations, aiming to build a stable blood donation force in industrial parks, commercial and service enterprises to help ensure a continuous blood supply, meeting the needs of emergency and treatment.

On the other hand, care and counseling for blood donors should also be focused on to encourage them to maintain the habit of regular blood donation. Honoring and rewarding individuals who have made positive contributions to the blood donation movement also plays an important role. A typical example is the program "Journey of Compassionate Heart" initiated by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in 2007 to honor 100 outstanding blood donors nationwide. This is the opening program for the honoring event that the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation has maintained regularly since then.

Hopefully in the future, with the attention and support of the Government, along with the spirit of humanity and the positive response of the people, this movement promises to achieve many more important achievements, contributing to ensuring a safe and stable blood source, while spreading the meaningful message: "Every drop of blood given, a life remains".

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/trao-gui-giot-hong-se-chia-yeu-thuong-post542402.html