Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 returns home from South Sudan
VOV.VN - Vietnam's Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 has fulfilled its UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan after more than a year, with a homecoming ceremony held recently for its staff in Hanoi.
A total of 51 officers and staff of the hospital arrived back in the capital on the night of July 9, while the remaining 12 members will fly home after they complete necessary handover procedures with Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5, which landed in South Sudan on July 7 (local time).
Colonel Pham Manh Thang, director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO) under the Ministry of National Defence, applauded staff for their outstanding performance in the East African nation.
The officer took the occasion to thank units of the Ministry, the Australian Embassy, and the Office of the Australian Defence Attaché for their close co-ordination with the VDPO in the deployment of the hospital.
He therefore asked the staff members to strive to stabilise their lives and take on new tasks, as well as draw lessons to serve the deployment of next rotations.
Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 made its debut on November 17, 2021, with 63 members, including 12 females.
During their stay in South Sudan, they gave treatment to 1,468 patients, including many serious cases, built an obstetrics and gynecology clinic and a herbal plant garden, produced and supplied 680 litres of compressed medical oxygen to Level-1 hospitals, as well as provided advice on preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, malaria, monkeypox, Ebola, Marburg, and other diseases.
They also became involved in different civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) activities, duly serving as peace ambassadors promoting the image of Vietnamese land and people to international friends.
With their outstanding achievements, the hospital has been awarded a certificate of merit by the commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, with all of its staff members being honoured with the “For the UN peacekeeping cause” medal of the UN.
The hospital’s achievements therefore contributed to affirming the reputation and responsibility of the country in both UN peacekeeping operations and international missions.
Since 2018, Australia has supported Vietnam in transporting personnel and equipment to UN peacekeeping missions and back, including those of Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 in 2022.