Ho Chi Minh City to have new blood bank with annual capacity of 1 million units

Ho Chi Minh City is set to begin construction of a new blood bank, with a capacity of one million blood units per year, four times greater than the current facility at the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital.

According to the municipal government, the new blood bank will be built on an area of 3,500 square meters, with a total investment of VND699.482 billion (US$26.8 million).

The Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital on Friday morning celebrated its 50th anniversary (1975-2025), 35 years of clinical services, and 30 years since performing Vietnams first stem cell transplant.

Doctor Phu Chi Dung, director of the hospital, said that after five decades of development, the hospital has become one of the two leading national referral centers specializing in hematology and blood transfusion.

Each year, it receives about 140,000 outpatient visits and 10,000 inpatient cases.

The hospital treats patients of all ages with both benign hematologic genetic disorders and malignant conditions.

In addition to treatment services, the hospital operates the country's leading blood bank, with an annual capacity of 250,000 blood units.

In 2024, it produced and supplied more than 650,000 blood products, including leukocyte concentrates, platelets, frozen plasma, cold plasma, and granulocyte products.

These blood products are distributed to nearly all public and private hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as to other provinces in southern Vietnam.

Starting January 2026, supply will expand to hospitals in the former Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Duong, which are now merged into Ho Chi Minh City.

Dr. Dung noted that the hospital has been a pioneer in stem cell transplantation, having performed over 700 transplants since the first case in 1995, the highest number in the country.

The hospital also supports other hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, such as the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, in performing stem cell transplants.

Thanks to Ho Chi Minh City's special mechanisms, the hospital has rapid access to the latest treatments, technologies, and pharmaceuticals, helping Vietnamese patients avoid seeking treatment abroad.

In the coming time, the hospital plans to integrate advanced technologies in its treatment protocols, including artificial intelligence, digital solutions, and particularly the development of cellular and gene therapies.

Speaking at the event, vice-chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy commended the hospital for its achievements over the past 50 years.

She emphasized the hospital's role not only in treating blood-related diseases but also in providing safe blood supplies, performing stem cell transplants, and offering specialized support to other institutions.

The hospital is one of only two in the city to have earned JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation, a prestigious international standard for healthcare quality.

Thuy expressed high expectations for the hospital's future, urging continued innovation in hospital governance, with a focus on patients.

She also called for strategic planning to develop a team of hematology experts, maintain and expand JCI quality standards, and establish specialized centers meeting regional and international benchmarks.

She recommended the hospital consider developing a second treatment center, particularly in areas far from the city center, to better serve the population and reduce travel time for patients.

Thanh Ha - Xuan Mai / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/07/15-08:30)

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