Level-two field hospital fully addresses real situations in exercise

During the stage, the hospital’s staff practice dealing with medical mock-ups mapped out by the Vietnamese side with the assistance of foreign medical advisors.

As the head of the organization panel of the exercise, the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center actively and proactively carried out coordination work, and together with international experts, provided technical tasks for the hospital’s staff to address in realistic medical situations according to the scenario.

A Vietnamese peacekeeping officer (L) exchanging professionalism with a foreign expert.

Every morning, the center hosted a meeting with relevant agencies to discuss unexpected issues that might result from the trainings. Then after each training, they also conducted an after-action review. Officers of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center, who served in UN missions before, closely worked with international experts to point out and address potential problems when the hospital is deployed in an actual UN mission.

Apart from treatment process, staff of the hospital also need to focus on other issues to secure safe operations in a real conflict country. These issues include packing and transporting equipment, local customs clearance procedures, security at offices and accommodation, logistics and technical works, and anticipating potential problems. All of these issues were discussed at the trainings and reviews, in order to help the hospital’s staff learn more about real situations when they are sent to a UN mission.

 In an after-action review

Lieutenant Colonel Michael John Hepburn, a medical professional from the UK, appreciated efforts and the teamwork spirit of the hospital’s staff in installing equipment for the hospital and implementing training contents under the exercise.

Meanwhile, Senior Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center stressed that the most important aspect for all of the hospital’s staff is that they properly geared up for the full deployment of the hospital to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) next year.

Translated by Van Hieu