Surabaya. Vice President Jusuf Kalla as the chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) expressed his appreciation to blood donors at the event of Satya Lencana Awards bestowal to those who donated their blood more than 75 times held today at Grahadi Building, Surabaya.

“It is truly amazing! You have donated your blood for 75 times, meaning that at least you already gave away 20 liters of blood for those in need,” said the Vice President.

He then added that 20 liters of blood is equal to 20 years of life.

“I really appreciate your contribution. We can buy medicine from drugstore, but not for blood. It is true that the government covers the health cost, but they cannot guarantee the blood availability,” said Mr Kalla.

The Vice President also appreciated heads of regions supporting the blood donor programs run by PMI. “East Java province has the most donors. Not only because it has big population, but also because the local government encourages people to donate blood,” he said.

At the end of his remarks, quoting the policy of the Ministry of Land and Spatial Planning, the Vice President told that any donor who has a certificate stating that they have donated their blood for more than 50, 75, and 100 times will be freed from any cost when applying for land certificates.