Accompanied by Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian and the head of the national Blood Transfusion Organization, Ali Akbar Pour-Fatollah, the president set a humanitarian example by donating his own blood.

Pour-Fatollah, who briefed the president and his entourage on the various activities of the organization, said that his organization is self-sufficient in blood supply for medical purposes.

A total of 1,450,000 units of blood were donated in a nationwide blood-drive campaign in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 21, 2003), he informed.

The Blood Transfusion Organization has 3,800 personnel working in 97 centers throughout the country, he said.

After donating blood, President Khatami talked with reporters gathered at the organization's premises.