Guangzhou tackles blood shortage

The Guangzhou Blood Center, in collaboration with volunteer groups, opened 13 voluntary blood donation sites across the city on March 24, which coincided with the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the "Blood Bank", a call for voluntary blood donation in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou residents lined up in front of each and every blood collection station, all hoping to make a difference. Around 1,000 volunteers served on site and as many as 927 people donated a total of 300 litres of blood on the day.

A senior citizen showcases her 17 blood donation certificates at a blood donation station in Guangzhou on March 24. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]

According to the Guangzhou Blood Center, as one of China's largest medical care centers, Guangzhou consumes a staggering 100 million milliliters of blood annually and often encountered blood shortages in the past. Thus, "Blood Bank" was founded in 2012 to address the issue, mobilizing volunteers from all walks of life to build a reliable and timely blood supply.

"Blood Bank hopes to build a platform that converge charitable social resources," Dai Jianxiang, the person in charge of the program, said. According to him, apart from the large-scale blood donation activities hosted every March, similar events on smaller scales are held every weekend all year long.

Blood donors line up at a donation station in Guangzhou on March 24. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]

Statistically, there were 28 blood donors for every one thousand residents in the city of Guangzhou in 2017, a donation rate three times the national average. The blood collection volume in 2017 reached 537,300 units, ranking second among all Chinese cities and accounting for one fortieth of the national aggregate.

Blood donation not only serves public interest, but could also benefit one's own family. According to the Guangzhou Blood Center, donors and their spouses or direct relatives could be prioritized and fees waived to a certain degree according to their donated volume, should they encounter any emergency situations.