Red Journey: Promoting the voluntary blood donation movement

– From 2014 to now, on every summer occasion, the Provincial Steering Committee for Blood Donation Mobilization has organized the Red Journey program with many meaningful and humane charity activities. Thereby, it attracts a large number of officials and people to participate in blood donation. They are willing to share their blood, share life with patients to have more lives to stay.

Mr. Linh Van Thanh, Secretary of the Youth Union of Lung Man village, Gia Loc commune, Chi Lang district has participated in the blood donation 3 times at the Red Journey, he shared: “While from 2014 or earlier, in my village, no one had participated, by 2015, after being propagated through the mass media, people and youth union members in the village knew that blood donation will not negatively affected to their health and have great humanitarian significance. Since then, every year in the village, there are 3 or 4 union members participating in blood donation. The village always meets and exceeds the blood donation target assigned by its superiors.”

Volunteers participating in voluntary blood donation at Red Journey 2020 (photo taken in July 2020)

Hoang Duc Thanh, a civil servant of the People’s Committee of Hai Yen commune, Cao Loc district who has donated blood 10 times, said: “I am a civil servant, so I think I need to take the lead in the blood donation movement in order for my friends, colleagues and people to follow. Since the Red Journey was organized by the District Red Cross, the propaganda and mobilization of people from all walks of life to participate in the blood donation has become more extensive and pervasive, so the commune also has many people participating in the blood donation.”

From 2014 to now, every year, the Provincial Red Cross Association advises the competent authorities to renew the form of organizing the Red Journey in a creative way such as organizing the blood donation program in districts alternatively each year instead of only organizing it in the city; organizing training on skills in propagating and mobilizing blood donation for volunteers in the districts; organizing parades and mobilizing blood donation in communes and densely populated areas in the province… Thereby, people have increasingly received extensive information, raised their own awareness and responsibility towards blood donation. Therefore, the number of people registering to donate blood the next year is always higher than the previous year, and the journey also receives more blood units. For example, in the Red Journey in 2014, the whole province received 300 units of blood; that in the 2017 was 572 blood units and 1,993 blood units in 2020.

Ms. Nong Bich Thuan, Chairwoman of the Provincial Red Cross Association, said: “In 7 years in a roll (2014 – 2020), Lang Son has responded to the organization of the Red Journey with creative ways, attracting a large number of people to participate in. With the participation of all levels of Party committees and authorities, the propaganda by press, news agencies in the province and direct mobilization of volunteers in remote communes have also been promoted. Thereby, the Red Journey has contributed to creating a far-reaching influence in the blood donation movement in the province. In Lang Son, the Red Journey in 2021 is the 8th consecutive one held. As planned, this year’s Red Journey will take place in the province from July 16 to 18, 2021, and is expected to receive 2,000 blood units.”

Provincial Red Cross volunteers assist in handling and receiving donated blood at Red Journey in 2020

Blood donation is a noble gesture that shows each individual’s understanding, compassion and responsibility for the community. The Red Journey is one of the biggest blood donation days of the year in the province. The program is deeply humane, embodying the principle of “love people as if you love yourself” of our nation. With the message of “a drop of blood to give – a life to stay”, it is hoped that in the coming time, the province’s blood donation movement will increasingly and sustainably develop, attracting a large number of people from all walks of life to act together, bring life, joy, and happiness of many patients and their families.

The Red Journey is co-ordinated by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and the Office of the National Steering Committee for Blood Donation Mobilization, VTV Corp company, blood transfusion centers, the Steering Committee for Blood Donation Mobilization tand the Red Cross Associations of provinces and cities (including Lang Son). The Red Journey was held consecutively from 2013 to 2021. In the past 8 years (2013 – 2020), this program was held in 54 provinces and cities and received more than 350,000 blood units. The Red Journey in 2021 will take place from June 9 to August 8, 2021 in 44 provinces and cities, and it is expected to receive 100,000 blood units.