Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 back home from South Sudan

A homecoming ceremony held for Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 in Hanoi on July 9. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam's Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 has completed its UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan after more than a year, with a homecoming ceremony held for its staff in Hanoi on July 9.

Fifty-one officers and staff of the hospital arrived in Hanoi on July 9 night, 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, lauded the staff for their outstanding performance in South Sudan.

Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO) under the Ministry of National Defence, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

The officer used the occasion to thank units of the ministry, the Australian Embassy and the Office of the Australian Defence Attaché for their close coordination with the VDPO in the deployment of the hospital.

He asked the staff members to soon stabilise their lives and take on new tasks, and 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, of them 12 female.

During their stay in South Sudan, they provided treatment for 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, and provided advice on preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemmic, malaria, monkeypox, Ebola, Marburg, and other diseases.

A homecoming ceremony held for Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 in Hanoi on July 9. (Photo: VNA)

They also engaged in various civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) activities, 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, and all of its staff members honored with the “For the UN peacekeeping cause” medal of the UN.

The hospital’s achievements have contributed to affirming the reputation and responsibility of Vietnam in the 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./.

VNA