Early in the morning on a weekday, in front of the lobby of the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, branch 1 (Hong Bang Street, old District 5), there were dozens of people sitting in rows of waiting chairs. They were not there to see a doctor, but waiting to donate one of the most important components of the body. That is blood!
People wait to donate blood and platelets at the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Bao Quyen).
Waking up at 5am, traveling dozens of kilometers to donate platelets to save lives
Le Duc Tuyen (23 years old), a student at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, took the opportunity to fill out the necessary personal information before going to the health check counter. Tuyen said this was the 8th time he donated blood, and all these times he proactively went to the hospital based on information he found online.
“I have blood type O, so I can donate to many people. Each time I donate 350ml of blood. I feel that I am still young and healthy, so I donate blood to people in critical condition or patients who need blood for treatment. I have to leave early to get back to school on time,” the male student explained.
In the first waiting row, Ha Huynh Huong (19 years old), a student at Ho Chi Minh City Banking University, shared that she had to travel more than 20km to get from Thu Duc City (old) to the Blood Bank of Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital. Although she has only participated since the beginning of the year, Huong has donated blood once and platelets four times.
Blood donors are guided by medical staff to fill out information (Photo: Bao Quyen).
“I found information on TikTok to find this place. I am young, platelets can be quickly reproduced, so if anyone needs them, I can donate them. Blood donation needs a 3-month interval, but platelets can be donated again after only 15 days. I know that cancer patients really need platelets.
After donating, almost a week later, the hospital will notify me by phone that the donated platelets have been used. Every time I read a message like that, I feel very happy because I have helped others.
I'm afraid of needles, so donating blood and platelets is also a way to face and get rid of that fear," Ha Huynh Huong smiled, revealing her simple reason for donating blood.
Inside the blood product collection room No. 1, a long line of people lie down and relax while the machines are separating their platelets. Nguyet (25 years old) humorously shared that she is a freelancer, so she donated blood because… she has free time.
A girl named Nguyet (left) and many people arranged their personal work to go to the Blood Bank to donate platelets early in the morning (Photo: Bao Quyen).
After 5am, Nguyet started moving from Tang Nhon Phu ward (old Thu Duc city), it took her more than 45 minutes to get to the hospital. She decided not to have breakfast right away but to wait, in order to donate the first few platelets, because she knew the donation time would be long.
“I have donated platelets more than 20 times. Each donation lasts about 2 hours, it only hurts a little when the needle is inserted at first, otherwise it is normal. I just know that donating will save others, so whenever I have free time, I just go, without thinking too much about it,” the girl said.
A representative of the Blood Donation Reception Department, Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, said that 70% of the people who come here to register to donate blood and platelets are young. Therefore, during the summer, the number of blood donors decreases, fluctuating at 50-60 donations/day, because at this time students are on vacation.
Medical staff shared that if whole blood is collected, the procedure only takes 5-10 minutes, and platelets and plasma can still be prepared, but the amount is large each time. Therefore, the hospital with the largest blood bank in the Southern region must arrange an additional area for collecting donated platelets.
Inside the Blood Bank located at the Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Bao Quyen).
Patients with cancer, intracranial hemorrhage, blood clotting disorders, dengue fever, etc. with severe thrombocytopenia will need platelet transfusions. These blood cells play an essential role in the process of blood clotting and hemostasis, but they are also the product with the shortest shelf life (about 5 days), so they need to be donated continuously to save lives.
Efforts to ensure blood supply for new HCMC
Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, Dr. Phu Chi Dung, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, said that the blood bank of this place supplies more than 160 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and some southern provinces, with over 13 types of blood products, such as packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, platelets...
Currently, the Blood Bank still provides a full range of blood products, ensuring the medical examination and treatment activities of hospitals and people. However, the reserve quantity of packed red blood cells prepared from whole blood has decreased recently.
The blood bank at the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City provides blood for treatment for hundreds of hospitals in the South (Photo: Bao Quyen).
According to Dr. Dung, since July 1, when Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country implemented the two-level government model, the blood source received at the Hospital has not changed much, but the blood source from the Ho Chi Minh City Humanitarian Blood Donation Center (under the management of the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society) has fluctuated, when many planned blood collection trips in old districts were canceled, because there are no longer district-level Red Cross Societies.
The amount of blood taken from this source accounts for over 50%, so it more or less affects the blood donation campaign.
Faced with that situation, recently the Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City proposed to organize a meeting between this place and the Red Cross Society, the Ho Chi Minh City Humanitarian Blood Donation Center, and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.
After the meeting, the Department of Health sent a written explanation to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for guidance. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee also promptly issued a document directing the organization of voluntary blood donation in 2025 and established a grassroots voluntary blood donation steering committee.
Medical staff bring donated blood from various places to the Blood Bank (Photo: Bao Quyen).
Specifically, the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee requested the People's Committees of wards, communes, and special zones to strengthen propaganda, mobilization, and organization of voluntary blood donation; coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society - the standing agency of the Ho Chi Minh City Voluntary Blood Donation Steering Committee - to maintain the blood donation schedule of wards, communes, and towns (old) until the end of 2025.
The leaders of Ho Chi Minh City also requested that local leaders urgently establish a Steering Committee for blood donation at the ward, commune and special zone levels in the area, assigning 1 Vice Chairman to be the Head of the Steering Committee, to promptly lead and direct the propaganda and mobilization work, and mobilize voluntary blood donors.
During this period, the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Donation Center increased blood collection from agencies, units, schools, and social organizations in the area to make up for the shortage.
“With the efforts, positivity and flexibility in finding solutions from all parties, we are still able to ensure blood supply,” Dr. Dung affirmed.
The Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital hopes that the city-level Blood Donation Mobilization Committee will soon be strengthened, and that previously planned blood donation campaigns will be maintained, as well as plans for the last 5 months of the year, so that the target for blood reserves for the year is guaranteed.
Blood supply needed for hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City increased after the merger of provinces and cities (Photo: Bao Quyen).
Doctor Dung added that because the two provinces of Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Duong (old) have merged into Ho Chi Minh City, the blood supply needed, especially in emergency cases, has also increased.
Based on the actual situation, the Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital has sent a document to collect the needs of hospitals in the two above mentioned areas, to determine and urgently implement a plan to meet the additional amount of blood products needed.
In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has approved the investment in the construction of a new Blood Bank, with an expected annual capacity of receiving, preparing, and processing about 1 million bags of whole blood, to produce more than 2.2 million blood products. Currently, the project is in the investment phase and will soon be implemented according to the plan.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/gioi-tre-o-tphcm-day-tu-5h-di-hang-chuc-cay-so-de-hien-tieu-cau-cuu-nguoi-20250801103039835.htm
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