Portrait

The founder of Vietnam’s live blood bank

Over 30 years working in the health sector, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri's career is associated with the two biggest annual blood donation drives of Vietnam. He is regarded as a hero of the hematology and blood medicine in Vietnam.
Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri is the one who initiated Vietnam’s two biggest annual blood donation drives: Le Hoi Xuan Hong (Red Spring Festival) and Hanh Trinh Do (Red Journey). Each year, the Red Spring Festival mobilizes tens of thousands of people to donate blood, while the Red Journey is a movement taking place in 25-35 provinces and cities nationwide.


Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri and his colleagues were awarded the First Prize in Medicine by the Vietnam Talent Awards 2016 for “stem cells and application of blood cell bank in treatment of hematopoietic organ diseases”. Dr. Tri was honored by the Vietnam Glory 2017, the second time he has received the distinction. Also, in 2017, Dr. Tri and his colleagues at NIHBT were awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for their contributions to blood transfusion activities, especially in forming a live blood bank.
According to Dr. Tri, blood is a special medicine because it is taken from kind hearts. People always refer to blood drops as the medicine of kindness. "Therefore, I am just the one who initiates the tradition of solidarity and love of Vietnamese", said Tri.

Dr. Tri recalled that in 1994, the blood donation campaign was the idea of a small group of students from Hanoi Medical University. In 2000, when the Prime Minister approved making April 7 every year to be the Day of All Voluntary Blood Donations, the movement began to spread all over the country.

Dr. Tri shows the blood units that have been processed at the Department of Blood
Preparations.


Dr. Tri and doctors in the Department of Blood Preparations. 


Putting blood into sterile plastic bags.


Blood units are carefully checked and screened before being stored
at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. 



Blood units before being stored.


Dr; Tri in a meeting with members of the Department of Blood Donation at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. 


Dr. Tri visits blood donors in the Department of Blood Donation.


Dr. Tri checks a patient's medical record. 

With more than 30 years working in the health sector and 11 years as the director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri has built a network of hematology and blood transfusions nationwide. This achievement is assessed by the Ministry of Health as one of the most complete and effective specialized networks.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri was awarded the titles of “Labor Hero” and “People’s Physician”, and the Labor Order First Class for his contributions in blood transfusion activities.
More than two decades ago, the phrase "voluntary blood donation" did not exist in Vietnam. In the past ten years, when the phrase appeared, it became a socialized movement, with the participation of people working in all fields. This is considered a cognitive revolution in Vietnamese society. Thanks to the development of the movement, so far, Vietnam has collected approximately 1 million blood units per year, instead of 100,000 units as before.


Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri and members of Red Journey 2014 before the campaign kicked off. 


Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri and members of Red Journey 2014 sang the traditional song of the program.


Dr. Tri and Miss Vietnam, Dang Thi Ngoc Han, in the program “Pink drops of gratitude”. Photo: Files


Dr. Tri visits blood donors in a blood donation campaign.
Story: Thao Vy -  Photos: Trinh Bo & Files

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