US Embassy hosts blood drive in Hanoi

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The blood drive launched on June 13 attracts around 200 donors.

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“It is especially encouraging to see so many employees and their families, students who visit our American Center, and others from all around Hanoi who help us “Give Blood and Keep the World Beating” by donating blood,” noted US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Melissa Bishop (L).

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With the theme of this year’s campaign is “Give Blood and Keep the World Beating”, US Embassy Hanoi Blood Drive 2023 wants to strongly encourage more people in Hanoi to become blood donors and donate blood regularly – actions which are key to building a strong foundation of sustainable national blood supplies that are sufficient to meet the needs of all patients requiring transfusion.

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Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh (L), director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, also joins the event.

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Bishop shares that she initially began the blood drive at age of 16, meaning she has so far donated her blood several dozens of times.

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Since the National Blood Program launched 2001, Vietnam has shown great progress in increasing its percentage of blood supply from voluntary donors. The US Embassy Hanoi is proud to jointly hold a blood drive to celebrate World Blood Donor Day with the National Institute of Hematology – Blood Transfusion (NIHBT or Blood Bank) to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to highlight the critical contribution voluntary, unpaid blood donors make to national health systems. The donated blood is used to save lives of trauma victims, surgical patients, and patients with life-threatening blood diseases.

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“Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. Blood drives increase awareness of the need for consistent blood products and the invaluable role of donors in assuring adequate supplies to meet the ever-growing community need,” noted US Embassy Medical Officer Cynthia Townsend.