Staff at the Level-2 Field Hospital No 2 receive online training on COVID-19 prevention and control. (Source: Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations)Hanoi, May 5 (VNA) - “The moment Flight C17 landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi afterflying from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, touched me the most. The joy of returningto the Fatherland and my family after nearly 18 months away overwhelmed my comradesand I.”
So said Major Cao Thuy Dung, Chief Nurse at the Level-2 Field Hospital No2, after returning to Vietnam on April 24 together with other hospital staff.
After taking on a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan in November 2019, the Level-2 Field Hospital No 2 had toextend its stay, scheduled for one year, to nearly 18 months due to the COVID-19pandemic and the difficulties that came with it.
However, with great will and determination, the “blue beret” medical soldiersovercame the difficulties and completed their mission.
“When we heard that the hospital and its staff would be staying longer inthe area, many of us felt depressed,” Captain and Dr Nguyen Viet Phuong, Headof the Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department and Head of theLevel-2 Field Hospital No 2’s COVID-19 Treatment Team, told the Vietnam NewsAgency. “I didn’t know when I would return to my family and the motherland. But,as soldiers, we pulled ourselves together and clearly defined our new mission. Weunderstood that it is common for UN peacekeeping mission to extend their tours innormal conditions, so doing so during a pandemic was nothing out of theordinary.”
Overcoming the difficulties from COVID-19
COVID-19 first hit South Sudan in April 2020 and the Level-2 Field HospitalNo 2 faced a shortage of medical equipment and supplies from the outset.
Cargo from Vietnam began to dry up, while local resupply was not possiblebecause of South Sudan’s border closures and the suspension of international anddomestic flights.
South Sudan had been heavily damaged by a decade of conflict, with peoplefacing difficult lives and poor health conditions. The country was already quitefragile before the COVID-19 “tsunami” struck.
“We had to save every single mask and piece of medicine to ensure pandemicprevention and patient treatment, and we knew that patient numbers would increasesharply as the pandemic spread,” said Lieutenant Colonel and Dr Vo Van Hien, Directorof the Level-2 Field Hospital No. 2.
Vietnam’s second Level-2 Field Hospital is locatedat Bentiu, a site that protects civilians and is known for its difficulties. Here,UN officers are constantly rotated between units, so could potentially carry diseaseand infect others. Insufficient facilities and medical equipment to screen for diseasemade the situation even worse, not to mention that environmental hygiene was generallypoor.
Given these hardships, the Level-2 Field HospitalNo 2 established a quarantine camp with the necessary medical equipment, whichstood ready to perform emergency medical procedures and receive and treat COVID-19patients.
“Despite the insufficiencies and hardships, thehospital’s hotline remained open 24/7, so that all cases could be reported,” saidDr Hien.
The hospital frequently organised training sessionsand drills for emergency situations, created a safety protocol for all staff andofficers at the hospital, and drafted combat readiness plans to save the unit aswell as its officers and staff in case danger presented itself.
Recalling one unforgettable memory from his 18 monthsat Bentiu, when a Mongolian officer was diagnosed with pleural tuberculosis, DrNguyen Viet Phuong said that according to UN protocols, the officer should havebeen transferred to a higher level hospital or even sent home. But given thecircumstances, he had to remain in the country and was treated at the hospital.His condition improved significantly with the necessary treatment.
That delighted not only the patient but also theentire Mongolian battalion, who all expressed their appreciation towards the Vietnamesedoctors.
“He was the longest-staying patient in the department,”said Dr Phuong. “Given the lack of equipment, we all worked together to providehim with the best treatment we could.”
According to Dr Hien, the Level-2 Field HospitalNo 2 received a lot of compliments from the UN Mission’s management units in Jubaand Bentiu for the medical services it provided.
Determined to fulfil the assigned mission
Now safely back in Vietnam, hospital staff will never forget their days insuch harsh working conditions.
So said Major Cao Thuy Dung, Chief Nurse at the Level-2 Field Hospital No2, after returning to Vietnam on April 24 together with other hospital staff.
After taking on a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan in November 2019, the Level-2 Field Hospital No 2 had toextend its stay, scheduled for one year, to nearly 18 months due to the COVID-19pandemic and the difficulties that came with it.
However, with great will and determination, the “blue beret” medical soldiersovercame the difficulties and completed their mission.
“When we heard that the hospital and its staff would be staying longer inthe area, many of us felt depressed,” Captain and Dr Nguyen Viet Phuong, Headof the Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department and Head of theLevel-2 Field Hospital No 2’s COVID-19 Treatment Team, told the Vietnam NewsAgency. “I didn’t know when I would return to my family and the motherland. But,as soldiers, we pulled ourselves together and clearly defined our new mission. Weunderstood that it is common for UN peacekeeping mission to extend their tours innormal conditions, so doing so during a pandemic was nothing out of theordinary.”
Overcoming the difficulties from COVID-19
COVID-19 first hit South Sudan in April 2020 and the Level-2 Field HospitalNo 2 faced a shortage of medical equipment and supplies from the outset.
Cargo from Vietnam began to dry up, while local resupply was not possiblebecause of South Sudan’s border closures and the suspension of international anddomestic flights.
South Sudan had been heavily damaged by a decade of conflict, with peoplefacing difficult lives and poor health conditions. The country was already quitefragile before the COVID-19 “tsunami” struck.
“We had to save every single mask and piece of medicine to ensure pandemicprevention and patient treatment, and we knew that patient numbers would increasesharply as the pandemic spread,” said Lieutenant Colonel and Dr Vo Van Hien, Directorof the Level-2 Field Hospital No. 2.
Vietnam’s second Level-2 Field Hospital is locatedat Bentiu, a site that protects civilians and is known for its difficulties. Here,UN officers are constantly rotated between units, so could potentially carry diseaseand infect others. Insufficient facilities and medical equipment to screen for diseasemade the situation even worse, not to mention that environmental hygiene was generallypoor.
Given these hardships, the Level-2 Field HospitalNo 2 established a quarantine camp with the necessary medical equipment, whichstood ready to perform emergency medical procedures and receive and treat COVID-19patients.
“Despite the insufficiencies and hardships, thehospital’s hotline remained open 24/7, so that all cases could be reported,” saidDr Hien.
The hospital frequently organised training sessionsand drills for emergency situations, created a safety protocol for all staff andofficers at the hospital, and drafted combat readiness plans to save the unit aswell as its officers and staff in case danger presented itself.
Recalling one unforgettable memory from his 18 monthsat Bentiu, when a Mongolian officer was diagnosed with pleural tuberculosis, DrNguyen Viet Phuong said that according to UN protocols, the officer should havebeen transferred to a higher level hospital or even sent home. But given thecircumstances, he had to remain in the country and was treated at the hospital.His condition improved significantly with the necessary treatment.
That delighted not only the patient but also theentire Mongolian battalion, who all expressed their appreciation towards the Vietnamesedoctors.
“He was the longest-staying patient in the department,”said Dr Phuong. “Given the lack of equipment, we all worked together to providehim with the best treatment we could.”
According to Dr Hien, the Level-2 Field HospitalNo 2 received a lot of compliments from the UN Mission’s management units in Jubaand Bentiu for the medical services it provided.
Determined to fulfil the assigned mission
Now safely back in Vietnam, hospital staff will never forget their days insuch harsh working conditions.
Dr Nguyen Van Quynh teaches the medical staff at Bentiu Hospital in South Sudan how to use the anaesthesia equipment. (Source: Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations)The emergence of the global pandemic quickly become the greatest challengefor all UN peacekeeping operations around the world and especially in South Sudan.
There were times the hospital’s staff felt confused and concerned as thepolitical and security situation in the local area became tense and the pandemicmore complex, or when members of the hospital or relatives back home became sick.All had a significant influence on the mental well-being of staff.
Amid the hardships and challenges, however, the “blue beret” medical soldiersunited to overcome the circumstances and fulfil the noble international missionof preserving peace - a new but lofty mission for the Vietnam People’s Army.
“At Bentiu, despite the many difficulties we faced, such as the pandemic,being away from home in a harsh environment for a long period of time, andfacing shortages of materials, we always bore in mind the traditions of the VietnamPeople’s Army over the past 76 years, with the motto ‘Every mission will be completed,all difficulties can be overcome’,” said Senior Lieutenant and Dr Tu Quang, Headof the Level-2 Field Hospital No. 2’s Air Rescue Team.
Wrapping up 18 months of being away from family and home, Uncle Ho’s peacetimesoldiers are extremely proud to have been part of the noble mission of the Armyand of Vietnam. In particular, contributing to the multilateral international missionrepresented sacrifice and dedication on the part of Vietnam’s female soldiers.
“It is a great honour for me to be a soldier of the Vietnam People’s Armyduring peacetime, taking part in international duties and contributing to protectingthe Fatherland from afar,” said Chief Nurse Major Dung. “This gave me a chance tocontribute to boosting the prestige and position of the country as well as the imageof Vietnamese women in the eyes of international friends.”/.
