History and Background

The Hong Kong Red Cross began its voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation programme in 1952. Currently, the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) is the only public institution providing blood to all hospitals, public and private, in Hong Kong. It has been managed by the Hospital Authority since December 1991. Since there is no substitute for blood, the supply of blood relies entirely on the goodwill of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors.

BTS is committed to ensuring an adequate and safe blood supply in Hong Kong. In March 1999, BTS was one of the first healthcare Institute in the region to have achieved ISO 9002 qualification for its quality management system and in April 2002, the system was successfully up-graded to the more pro-active and demanding ISO 9001:2000 standard.

Over the past 6 decades, more than 1.6 million people have donated blood in Hong Kong.

2005 was a year of significance for BTS.  As a means of reinforcing our commitment to the Hong Kong Red Cross’ life-saving mission, in September 2005 the BTS established the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry as part of its new role in providing the bone marrow donation service.

In addition, BTS became the first blood service in the world to adopt successfully a fully Integrated Quality-Environmental Management System incorporating the quality and environmental management principles of ISO9001, ISO14001 and cGMP(Code of Good Manufacturing Practice for Blood and Components) standards.  In August 2005, BTS was awarded certification for the ISO14001:2004 environmental management standard in addition to the established ISO9001/GMP quality management standard. The BTS’s Reference Laboratory and Cord Blood Bank obtained  ISO15189 accreditation certificates in 2007 and 2008 respectively.  Lately in March 2009, BTS was also awarded certification for OHSAS18001:2007 occupational health and safety management system (OH&S) which reflected that the BTS put staff safety and health on high priority.  BTS was the first blood centre in the world to have successfully adopted a fully Integrated Quality-Environmental-OH&S Management System.

Let's join hands to protect lives! We sincerely call for your support to give blood or to register as a bone marrow donor for the welfare of all patients who are in need.