Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, head of the steering committee of Vietnam’s UN peacekeeping operations, asked leaders of the hospital to ensure safety for the staffers and carry forward the spirit of solidarity to successfully fulfil tasks assigned by the UN. 

He also requested the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations to implement policies towards families of the officers and soldiers, and pledged that the Defence Ministry will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies and units to create the best possible conditions for the hospital to operate in South Sudan, contributing to raising the position and prestige of Vietnam and the Vietnam People’s Army in particular at the international arena. 

The hospital is the first-ever independent unit of Vietnam to join the UN peacekeeping operations. It will replace the second-level field hospital of the UK army in Bentiu, South Sudan, to provide medical care for staffers of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan within one year. 

On October 1, the first group of the hospital with 30 members set off for the African country. 

On November 25, 2014, the Defence Ministry issued a decision to establish the Level-2 field hospital with a 70-strong staff, a step to realise the Party and State’s policy on joining the United Nations’ peacekeeping activities in the field of humanitarian activities.-VNA