The Chinese New Year is good news for holidaymakers, but hospitals have to keep working, and there are concerns that blood supplies for transfusion may fall as donors take a break.

The health ministry is calling on the general public to continue helping out with blood donations over the holiday.

On Sunday, the ministry announced that starting from this year, it would regularly release information on blood donations around the country.

Despite fluctuating supplies, growing numbers of Chinese people are donating their blood.

According to the Ministry of Health, during the past six years, blood donations increased five-fold. And during the next three years, health officials plan to completely eliminate commercial blood sales.

(CCTV.com February 6, 2005)