(VOVworld) – The Ministry of Health hosted a ceremony on Sunday in Hanoi to mark the 20^th anniversary of the national blood donation drive. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen praised the role of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in initiating and implementing the drive:“Over the past 20 years thanks to the voluntary blood donation campaign, we have received more than 8.2 million units of blood for medical treatment of millions of patients. The lives of many people have been saved by blood transfusion. In the community, we have formed a significant movement, which make great contributions to educating ethics, humanitarian activities and responsibilities for the community. The voluntary blood donation drive has made our society more humane”.

Also on Sunday, an annual blood donation festival was held in Hanoi, giving out the message “Sharing red blood, giving hope”.