Nearly 425,000 blood units collected since year’s beginning

Outstanding families and individuals joining in blood donation drives are honoured annually.

More than 1.4 million blood units were collected last year despite COVID-19, of which 99 percent came from voluntary donors.

Such donors account for nearly 1.5 percent of the population, tripling the amount recorded in 2007, the Red Cross Society said.

Frequent and repeated blood donations and large volumes are safe as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Vietnam needs around 1.9 million units of blood each year.