KUCHING: Vixonsday Francis Ketir won a prestigious award from the Malaysian Red Crescent for being the top blood donor of the year.
He has been donating blood on a regular basis for the past 30 years. Last year, the 50-year-old officer with the Fire and Rescue Department in Bau donated a total of 110 pints of blood.
 “I never thought of getting any form of recognition in return or winning any award like this. What I want to do is just to donate blood and save lives,” Vixonsday said after the award presentation ceremony for about 2,000 donors here yesterday.
This is also the first time that the national award presentation ceremony was being held in this city, which had been the highest blood collection centre at both the state and national level for many years.
Vixonsday said he first donated blood in 1980. At that time he went to the hospital to donate blood hoping that it could help improve his blood circulation.
“After that I never stopped, I donate blood every three months,” he said.
Vixonsday encouraged more people to come forward as blood donors as there was nothing to be afraid of, saying the noble cause could in turn save many lives.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, who presented the awards, was happy to note that the amount of blood collected from Kuching had increased over the years since it started in 1974. He also said the government was committed to improving basic infrastructures and medical facilities, such as the building of a second general hospital here, to make sure everyone had access to medical services and lived a healthy life.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia Red Crescent Kuching chapter was awarded the top chapter category with the highest collection of 18,513 pints of blood last year.
Malaysia Red Crescent Sarawak branch is the top in the state category with some 39,000 pints of blood collected last year.
In the private sector category, the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Division Chinese Association Youth Section ranked the top with 2,926 pints of blood collected last year. |
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