Vietnam’s first field hospital to leave for South Sudan shortly

HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam’s first level-2 field hospital will leave for its mission in South Sudan shortly, marking a big stride forward of the Vietnamese blue-beret force while affirming the Government’s policy to boost intensive and extensive international integration.

“In the context of deep global integration, the Vietnamese Government’s policy is to contribute to international peace and humanity. Joining the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations (UN) is a vivid illustration for Vietnam’s responsibility for the UN and international community”, said Deputy Minister of Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh.

Established in December, 2014 under the Military Hospital 175, the hospital is the first-ever independent unit of Vietnam to join the UN’s peacekeeping forces. Thus, meticulous preparations have been made in the past four years, both in human resources and training.

Besides professional and foreign language training, the hospital’s staff were provided with skills to survive and respond to incidents in harsh conditions.

The UN approved the hospital’s personnel list with 69 people in April this year.

Deputy Minister of Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh made the latest inspection of the field hospital’s preparations on May 4, during which the hospital was deemed ready for mission.

He noted that the successful implementation of the first level-2 field hospital would create premise for the second hospital and the next military engineering unit to join the UN’s peacekeeping force in 2020.

According to Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, in the examination for the hospital in February, an inspection group from the UN spoke highly of the medical staff’s capacity and believed that they will complete their mission in the African nation.

Vietnam has sent 20 officers to work at the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Central African Republic and the UN Mission in South Sudan, including a female officer, after nearly four years of joining the UN peacekeeping operations.-VNA