Minhang District is aiming to increase voluntary blood donations to 80 percent of the total by 2006 and add 8,000 emergency donors to its database.
The district has established the city's first blood collection station in a business street and is conducting a trial program promoting voluntary donations in two neighborhoods and three companies.
Yang Haiyan, vice director of the district Blood Administrative Office, said there has been a good response to the station.
"In the past four months, 3,861 people donated blood at the station. Voluntary donations have accounted for half of the total so far this year," she said.
Officials believe they may reach the 80 percent target next year as awareness increases.
"The biggest barrier to the goal is some enterprises still give subsidies to reward employees for donating blood. The money is the only reason why many people give blood," Yang said.
"If people receive money after donating blood, no one is willing to do it voluntarily."
Local officials said the city will promote Minhang's program to increase voluntary blood donations.
"At present, 50 percent of local blood comes from the quotas, while about 30 percent is from voluntary donations and 20 percent bought from other provinces," said Song Qi, an official at Shanghai Blood Administrative Office.
Gerard Kennedy, general manager of Alcoa (Shanghai) Aluminum Products Co, gave blood in the Minhang Blood Collection Station yesterday together with 11 employees.
"I encourage my staff to donate blood as a normal activity," he said.