Vietnam's field hospital in South Sudan

Military forces are finalizing preparations for deploying a field hospital to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

A simulated exercise was conducted at Field Hospital Level 2 No. 1. Photo: People's Army Newspaper.

According to the People's Army Newspaper, the officers and medical staff of Field Hospital Level 2 No. 1 have completed a practical training program consisting of four stages: Equipment installation; hospital operation and handling medical situations; comprehensive operation, handling medical situations, commanding and managing the field hospital; and practicing dismantling, cleaning, and packaging the equipment.

The practical scenarios were designed by medical officers from the Military Medical Department in collaboration with international experts, closely reflecting the actual conditions in Bentiu (South Sudan); gradually increasing in difficulty and complexity; and shifting from the isolated examination and treatment activities of each department to the integrated operation of all departments and units of the hospital, operating at full capacity and sometimes overloaded under field conditions.

In the hypothetical scenarios that the hospital had to handle, the most difficult challenge was operating under conditions of power shortage.

All parts of the hospital continued to operate according to their positions and responsibilities under the hypothetical scenario that all three generators failed. In a United Nations peacekeeping mission, a generator failure means no air conditioning, no water pumps, no lighting...

While awaiting the power outage, specialized departments such as the Outpatient Department, Emergency Department, and Isolation Unit continued to examine and admit patients. Medical equipment switched to battery power. Doctors in the Surgery Department continued to urgently prepare instruments and carry out scheduled surgeries.

At the Command Center, the Director of the field hospital informed the United Nations peacekeeping mission that the hospital could remain operational until 6 PM that day. After this time, the hospital would close if there was no power and would report the situation to the mission.

These situations provided valuable lessons, forming the basis for better preparation for the deployment of field hospitals to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Alongside practical training in handling medical situations and ensuring technical logistics, international experts and officers from the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center with experience operating at UMISS organized field information exchange sessions with the hospital's support staff.

To date, Vietnam has sent 19 officers to serve in two United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, and is continuing to prepare rotational forces to replace them and participate in new positions at the invitation of the United Nations.

Vietnam is also actively completing preparations to deploy a Level 2 Field Hospital and an Engineering Team to United Nations peacekeeping missions according to a schedule in 2018 and subsequent years.

According to baochinhphu.vn