(VOVworld) – A dedicated doctor, a true scientist, and an excellent manager is what people often call Doctor Nguyen Anh Tri, head of the Vietnam National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Dr. Tri was awarded the Hero of Labor title and selected as one of Hanoi’s 10 most outstanding citizens of 2015. Nguyen Hien reports….

Nguyen Anh Tri was the mastermind of Vietnam’s two biggest annual blood drives: the “Red Spring Festival” and the “Red Journey”, which have collected blood to save thousands of people. The national blood bank has grown significantly. In 2014, 96% of the blood donated came from volunteers. Before, a very limited amount of blood was donated by professional blood sellers. Nguyen Anh Tri told VOV: "From Hanoi, the Red Spring Festival has expanded across Vietnam. This has helped to cover blood shortages not just in Hanoi, but nationwide. More blood donation programs like this should be launched on a more regular basis to save more patients."

Nguyen Anh Tri asked his institute to carry out a number of important projects to save people with life-threatening diseases, like blood cancer. A blood donation project was set up targeting people living in remote and island areas. And most recently, a community cord blood stem cell bank was established to treat blood cancer patients. Nguyen Van Tri is a patient under treatment at the Vietnam National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion: "The first day I ate in the institute’s canteen, Tri came over to say hello and give me a pat on the shoulder. He was really friendly and made me feel at home. During my treatment here, I have witnessed his dedication and tireless efforts to save patients. I want to live like he does and contribute more to society."

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri was selected as one of Hanoi’s 10 most outstanding citizens of 2015. Photo: Vuong Tuan

Doctor Tri attaches great importance to training activities to improve the institute’s human resources. He has sent many of the staff to study abroad who then come back to help fulfil the institute’s important mission. He also pushed for the establishment of the Hanoi Blood Transfusion Center which now stores 200,000 units of blood per year and supplies 120 hospitals in 16 northern cities and provinces. Nguyen Manh Quan is head of the Institute’s Blood Donation Department: "Professor Tri has a very good way of training his students. He gives us ideas and inspires us to study things which will be highly applicable and benefit people the most. This is why his projects have always been widely applied."

In more than 40 years of practice, Tri has set a bright example for his colleagues and students to follow.