The activities, held in Bentiu and Unity, brought together staff members of the Vietnam Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7, international organisations, military medical units stationed in the area, local healthcare workers and representatives of the local community.

Beyond celebrations, the programme also aimed to strengthen solidarity and friendship between Vietnam’s peacekeeping force and local authorities and residents in South Sudan.

As part of the activities, the hospital donated nearly 1,000 sterile surgical gauzes to the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association. On May 7, hospital staff continued providing medical supplies and infection prevention materials, including gloves, face masks, medical waste bags, hand sanitizer and decorative items for the association.

The highlight of the programme was a ceremony marking International Nurses and Midwives Day held on May 12 at Bentiu General Hospital. The event included a parade joined by healthcare workers, students, international organisations and local residents to raise public awareness of the role of nurses and midwives in health care.

Members of Vietnam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 also exchanged professional experience with local medical staff and military medical units from other countries deployed in the sector.

In addition to professional support, the hospital coordinated preparations for the event and donated personal hygiene kits to female secondary school students in Bentiu to promote awareness of school health and personal hygiene.

The unit also organised HIV/AIDS counselling and testing for around 100 local residents at Bentiu General Hospital, contributing to disease prevention efforts in the community.

Representatives from international organisationsincluding the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Médecins Sans Frontières, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan also attended the event, recognising the important contributions of nurses and midwives, especially in challenging areas such as South Sudan.

The programme also featured poetry readings, health communication plays, professional demonstrations by midwives and community cultural exchanges. A professional oath-taking ceremony by nurses and midwives left a strong impression, reflecting their dedication, responsibility and commitment to patient care.

Through the activities, Vietnam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation reaffirmed the active role of Vietnamese military medical forces in UN peacekeeping operations while promoting the image of a compassionate and responsible Vietnam to the international community.

Vietnam deploys more Level-2 field hospital, engineering unit to UN peacekeeping missions

The Ministry of National Defence held a departure ceremony at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on September 22 to send off Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 and Engineering Unit Rotation 4 to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).