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The following is issued on behalft of the Hospital Authority:
Today's date - 12.12.2012 - makes it an auspicious occasion, and many people have chosen it to tie the knot. The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) has taken the opportunity to launch the "1212 Two With One Heart Blood Donation Campaign" at the Tsuen Wan Donor Centre (TWC) in a bid to motivate more people to invite friends and family to experience the joy of giving blood together. It is hoped that more people will invite a companion to donate blood, mutually reinforcing the habit of making regular blood donations to save lives.
At the event, Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung, Chairman of the Blood Transfusion Service Governing Committee, pointed out that many people gave blood for the first time because of the encouragement of loved ones or friends. He said that having a companion to give blood with is not only a beautiful experience but is also conducive to fostering a regular blood donation habit. As such, the BTS has chosen today to promote "companion blood donation" as a joint effort to help saving lives. Mr Tsai firmly believes it will create an even more positive blood donation atmosphere, which ultimately will benefit more patients.
The event was also attended by Mr Kolo Tsui and Ms Cynthia Ng, who met at the TWC eight years ago and have donated blood there together regularly ever since. They even chose to tie the knot today at the TWC and donated their blood for the first time as a married couple immediately after the wedding ceremony, with the objective of helping to spread the message of companion blood donation.
Furthermore, the BTS hopes that Hong Kong citizens will invite their friends and family to give blood this winter and on coming festivals, which are traditionally slow times for blood donation, and feel the joy of directly saving patients' lives. All BTS donor centres will be adorned with Christmas decorations to create a unique blood donation experience for donors.
To reciprocate the warmth that blood donors bring to others, the BTS will present a scarf to donors who give blood from December 15 to January 3, while stocks last.
In addition, the Mongkok Donor Centre located at 11/F, Ginza Plaza, 2A Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mongkok is about to complete its refurbishment and will resume full service on December 14. Donors are invited to come and check out its new look and enjoy a new donation experience.
For enquiries about the locations and service hours of the blood donor centres, please call the BTS hotline on 2710 1234 or visit its website at www.ha.org.hk/rcbts.
Ends/Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:53
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