The event, with the participation of 18 cities and provinces nationwide will last until early February and is expected to collect some 15,000 units of blood to meet the increasing demand for blood used in first aid and treatments during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.
Addressing the festival, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted great contributions by relevant agencies and volunteers to the event. He called on volunteers, students, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and media agencies to disseminate information on the program to encourage people to donate blood.
He asked the health sector to ensure the quality of the blood in the donation process and raise public awareness about the significance of the program.
Organised by the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper and the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion in 2009, the annual festival has so far collected more than 10,000 units of blood.
Following are some photos of the event:
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| Miss Vietnam 2014 Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen (R) and the first runner-up Nguyen Tran Huyen My (L) |
