Female medical officers stand ready to join UN peacekeeping missions

Ten Vietnamese female medical officers have undergone three years of hard training in preparation for their participation in the United Nations peacekeeping activities in Africa.

Second Lieutenant Phan Thi Van Huyen is among 10 Vietnamese female medical officers to join UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan. (Photos: TL)

In July this year, 73 members from the Vietnam Army medical corps will travel to South Sudan to take part in UN peacekeeping activities for a year, including 10 female doctors, nurses, and technicians.

The mission of the team is to provide healthcare for the U.N. missions and to work under assignments from the organisation.

Senior Lieutenant Pham Thi Thu Trang, 39, who previously worked at the Military Medical Hospital 4 said, "At first, I was bewildered because I did not know much about the African country that was crippled by civil wars. Undergoing training courses and dealing with hypothetical situations, I gradually felt more secure. As a pioneer in joining the U.N. peacekeeping mission, I have anticipated hardships, but it will certainly be a meaningful experience in my life."

Vietnamese female medical officers must undergo a rigorous testing process in accordance with U.N. standards.

This is the first time that the Vietnam People's Army will send its medical force and field hospitals abroad to operate independently. The preparation process has also faced many difficulties due to unprecedented details, said Major General, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, Director of the Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Son added that the volunteer team must undergo thorough preparations and a rigorous testing process in accordance with U.N. standards, which began in April 2014. It is a challenge, but also an honour and the responsibility of Vietnam to contribute to maintaining world peace and asserting the quality of medical military doctors under the requirements of the U.N., Son noted./.

VNF/NDO