Vietnamese Peacemakers Perform Successful Surgery on UN Staff Member

The UN official (the center of the photo, green shirt) was in special health circumstances and was operated by Vietnam medical team. Photo: VNT

With careful examination and accurate diagnosis, offering the most comprehensive and optimal treatment plan; Combined with professional and dedicated care, doctors and nurses at Level 2 Hospital Rotation 3 successfully operated and treated the UN officials with special health conditions.

One of the four patients is a 29-year-old male United Nations employee from South Sudan. He had been examined at many places in hospitals in Uganda, Kenya, Egypt but never received an accurate diagnosis. The patient was in so much pain, he had to put off his marriage.

The patient was admitted to the hospital in a state of anxiety and despair, when the pain in the right pelvic area increased. After a thorough examination, close monitoring of symptoms combined with imaging and laboratory results, the doctors thought of chronic appendicitis – a very rare disease mentioned in the medical literature.

The patient was discharged from the hospital with happiness, intending to start a family in the near future.

With letters full of love and gratitude sent to the medical staff at Level 2 hospital, he wrote:

Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong

He sent special appreciation for Dr. Nam and Dr. Khoa for their daily checking monitoring, adding that his life was saved by their professionalism and kindness.

Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong

The success of the operation has confirmed the qualifications and professional skills of the Vietnamese team of doctors and above all, the profound humanity when the Vietnamese blue beret doctor is always wholeheartedly for the patient so that they can enjoy a happy life. Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong

Extreme challenged diagnosis

Three out of four suffered chronic appendicitis that caused prolonged or intermittent abdominal pain and challenged diagnosis. The first patient is a UN security officer whose conditions were diagnosed as chronic appendicitis.

After the success of the first surgery, the next two patients were South Sudanese and colleagues of the first patient, with similar symptoms. They went to Level II Field Hospital No.3 in hope of getting rid of persistent pain.

The fourth surgery was related to perianal abscesses. The patient was examined many times at the UN Level I Hospital but the treatment did not help. Abscesses cause a lot of pain for the patient and may lead to systemic infection. Fortunately, Vietnamese doctors diagnosed and performed the surgery in a timely manner.

In addition to surgical procedures, the successful performance of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks has helped ease the postoperative pains for the patients.

In his thank-you letter upon discharge, UN security officer Bwangani Issac wrote “Vietnam Level II Hospital, UNMISS in Bentiu has excellent medical service. I am very grateful and satisfied with professional doctors and nurses. The quality of medical services is hard to describe in words while the consultation is always perfect. Meanwhile, Vietnamese food is also excellent, especially congee… Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the Government of Vietnam and the United Nations for their careful recruitment to send the best doctors and nurses to South Sudan to help protect the lives of UN personnel who are helping the people of South Sudan.”

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said he highly appreciates Vietnam’s participation in Level II Hospitals in South Sudan which is necessary for dangerous conflict areas.

Vietnam operated Level II Hospital in South Sudan in October 2018 and sent 75 military doctors and nurses so far. Photo: VNT

The operations of such hospitals, peacekeepers can rest assured doing their mission and will be treated in the event of an accident and feel cared for and protected, the official said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

Since 2014, hundreds of Vietnamese peacekeepers worked for UNMISS, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), a contested enclave between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan.

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