On this occasion, the People’s Army Newspaper had an interview with Major General Nguyen Hong Son, Director of Military Hospital 175, on the hard but proud preparation for the mission of the field hospital.
Reporter: Was it hard for Military Hospital 175 to train the medical contingent of the L2FH No. 1 under the international standard and prepare for its deployment?
Major General Nguyen Hong Son: Yes, it was. The success resulted from not only the great efforts of our hospital staff, but also the sound leadership, care and high determination of the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, the General Department of Politics and other Ministry of National Defense’s affiliates, Military Region 7, Army Corps 4 and more in training the force for UN peacekeeping activities. This is a new, unprecedented mission with a lot of requirements and strict UN standards. To well prepare the UN peacekeeping force, it requires close coordination of various agencies in completing procedures, organizing personnel, preparing equipment, opening training courses to improve involved personnel’s expertise in the field, sharing experience, revising laws and regulations, to name but a few.
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Major General Nguyen Hong Son |
Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense established the Steering Committee on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations in order to direct consistently relevant agencies to carry out the preparation. Playing the principal role in preparing the hospital, Military Hospital 175 with its determination actively and creatively implemented its assignments and created best conditions for the operation of the L2FH No.1.
So far, the hospital preparation has been highly appraised by the UN, and all members of its staff have passed tough tests conducted by international experts.
It can be said that we have done a great amount of work, bringing us both hardship and pride.
Reporter: Can you briefly talk about the preparation of the hospital?
Major General Nguyen Hong Son: A huge amount of work has been done during the preparation but I can name some important jobs: personnel training and personnel organization; operation of field hospital in line with the UN standards; English training; reception, exploitation, management and maintenance of medical equipment; exercises; UN examinations and general assessment of the preparation of the field hospital; building practical action plans, including an action plan in the place where the target UN peacekeeping mission is located, operation plan, and communications plan.
Reporter: What is your assessment of the capabilities of the staff of L2FH No.1?
Major General Nguyen Hong Son: The L2FH No.1 has undergone various examinations by Military Hospital 175, specialized units under the Ministry of National Defense and UN inspection delegations.
During tests, the UN delegations highly valued capabilities of the field hospital’s staff and Vietnam’s serious and responsible preparations for the field hospital.
It can be said that Vietnam has met all UN standards.
I myself can say that, for four years now, the field hospital’s staff has been equipped fully with skills, expertise, political stance and high determination, and that they are ready to undertake duties at UNMISS.
Reporter: During the preparation for the field hospital, Vietnam has received great support from various countries. Can you elaborate on it?
Major General Nguyen Hong Son: Vietnam in general and Military Hospital 175 in particular have received effective assistance from various countries in personnel training, experience sharing and expertise improvement during the preparation of the field hospital.
Particularly, Military Hospital 175 received support from experts, organizations and militaries of Australia, the US, the UK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Canada and more, and especially relevant UN agencies.
Besides sending instructors and experts to Vietnam to directly train professional expertise and English language and share experiences with Vietnamese personnel, these countries sponsored the field hospital’s machinery and equipment valued at millions of USD.
Military Hospital 175 has carried out various practical cooperation programs with specialized agencies and units of various foreign countries to take full advantages of their enthusiastic support.
Reporter: Besides performing their professional and noble humanitarian missions, will Vietnam’s “Blue Berets” deployed to South Sudan serve as Vietnam’s messengers of peace in the international arena?
Major General Nguyen Hong Son: It can be said that this is a noble mission. In my opinion, each Vietnamese serviceman and servicewoman is proud of being a member of Vietnam’s peacekeeping force. Each of the L2FH No.1’s staff will also become a messenger of peace and of culture of Vietnam and represent Uncle Ho’s soldiers and Vietnamese military medicine sector in the international arena.
Well aware of that, Military Hospital 175’s Directorate has paid due attention to improving the staff’s political stance, and equipping them with the code of conduct in the international environment.
Furthermore, the field hospital’s female personnel have learnt traditional dances, singing, cooking and household arts. This aims to help them feel confident in cultural and artistic exchanges with their international peers and provide them with soft skills to demonstrate the beauty and talent of the Vietnamese women as well as their readiness to overcome difficulties to excellently fulfill missions in a far-away country, contributing to brightening the image of the Vietnamese women and Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the eyes of international friends.
I also would like to say that Uncle Ho’s wish 70 years ago has now come true. When the modern State of Vietnam was newly-established, Uncle Ho, in a letter sent to the UN, mentioned the responsibility and role of Vietnam, an independent nation, ready to get involved in UN peacekeeping operations. Therefore, with this historic mission, I entirely believe that my colleagues at the L2FH No.1 will accomplish their missions and the hospital will head for the UN mission carrying the high sense of responsibility, honor and pride of the Vietnamese people.
Reporter: Thank you very much!
Translated by Mai Huong