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Military transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster III of the Royal Australian Air Force lands at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. |
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The first 30 members of the field hospital return home this time. |
Present at the event were VNDPKO Director Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of Military Hospital 175 Major General Nguyen Hong Son, Australian Defense Attaché to Vietnam, representatives of Air Division 370, international delegates, and relatives of the field hospital’s staff.
At 22:30 on April 30, the military transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster III of the Royal Australian Air Force with 30 members of the field hospital on board landed at the airport. The Vietnamese peacekeepers underwent a rapid COVID-19 testing before attending the welcoming ceremony. The remainder of the field hospital will return home in May this year.
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VNDPKO Director Major General Hoang Kim Phung boards the aircraft to inquire after the field hospital’s personnel. |
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Director of Military Hospital 175 Maj. Gen. Nguyen Hong Son also boards the plane to visit the Vietnamese blue-berets. |
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Australian Defense Attaché congratulates the field hospital’s personnel on their completion of international duties and home arrival. |
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Delegates thank the flight crew and pose for a joint photo. |
In a warm and touching atmosphere, leaders of the VNDPKO, Military Hospital 175, and delegates shook hands, inquired after and presented flowers to the field hospital’s personnel.
The arrival of the first group of the field hospital was greatly significant and profoundly impressive since it took place on the day the whole nation celebrated the 47th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day.
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The L2FH Rotation 3’s staff learn regulations before getting off the plane to take part in the welcoming ceremony. |
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Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Son, in charge of the first group of the field hospital, is the first to get off the aircraft. |
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Leaders of the VNDPKO and Military Hospital 175 warmly welcome the field hospital’s members. |
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Despite long flight, all members of the field hospital are excited. |
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VNDPKO director presents flowers to the eminent cadres who have excellently completed international duties. |
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The Directorate of Military Hospital 175 presents flowers to the field hospital’s personnel. |
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Flowers presented to the field hospital’s members |
At the event, the delegates expressed their delight at the outstanding achievements gained by the field hospital at the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), thus promoting the country’s defense diplomacy and foreign relations, and confirming Vietnam’s prestige and responsibility in carrying out U.N. peacekeeping activities and other international duties.
After the welcoming ceremony, all members of the first group of the field hospital went through entry procedures as regulated and were taken to stay at Military Hospital 175.
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Right after getting off the aircraft, all members of the field hospital are tested for COVID-19. |
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L2FH Rotation 3’s first group ready to maneuver to the place where the welcoming ceremony is held |
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Fulfilling their duties, all members of the field hospital are honored with the U.N. medal for service. |
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Major General Nguyen Hong Son, Director of Military Hospital 175, delivers a welcoming speech. |
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The first group of the field hospital at the event |
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The overview of the welcoming ceremony at Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
The L2FH Rotation 3 was founded in November 2019. On March 23, 2021, the field hospital officially headed for Bentiu, South Sudan to take on U.N. peacekeeping duties. With great efforts, high sense of responsibility, and the spirit of constantly learning, the field hospital’s staff overcame all difficulties, fulfilled all tasks, and brightened the noble image of Vietnamese military medical staff and Uncle Ho’s soldiers among international friends and the U.N.
During their working term at UNMISS, the field hospital reaped positive results. They received over 1,400 outpatient cases, provided aero-medivac for 16 cases, and successfully operated on 16 cases. Attentively, they successfully and safely handled various serious and complicated cases and won commendation from UNMISS chief medical officer. In addition, the field hospital applied new techniques to treatment in the field conditions for the first time, and consulted with experts of Military Hospital 175 in the homeland, which is nearly 10,000 km far from South Sudan, through the telemedicine system during surgeries for serious cases.
The field hospital also actively cooperated with, presented medicines, and trained X-ray technicians of civilian hospitals in Bentiu township and those run by Doctors without Borders.
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Relatives welcome their beloved returning home. |
It is worth noting that in the last three months of its tenure, the field hospital worked closely with level-1 field hospitals in the stationed area to effectively control COVID-19.
It was the field hospital’s close and proactive coordination that has contributed to maintaining peace in the region.
With their accomplishment, all 63 members of the L2FH Rotation 3 were honored with U.N. medal for service. Many personnel of the field hospital were presented with certificates of merit by UNMISS leadership.
Translated by Mai Huong