A ceremony to launch the 2014 Voluntary Blood Donation Day (7 April) took place in Da Nang on Sunday.  Organised by the city’s Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donations, the event saw the participation of 450 local residents.

At the event, 41 groups and 190 individuals were honoured for their outstanding achievements during the local voluntary blood donation campaigns in 2013.

Last year, 30,027 units of blood were collected from the city’s population, an increase of 1,852 units compared with the previous year, and surpassing the year's target by 15%.  The volume of blood donated met 99.6% of the demand from local hospitals for blood to use in emergencies and treatment.  Most notably, the city recorded the highest number of blood donors in the country, with 3.1% of the local population donating blood during last year.