61 Army personnel leave for UN mission in South Sudan

A new contingent of 61 Army personnel including 11 officers under the Phase 6 of the UN Mission of South Sudan (UNMISS) left for South Sudan this morning (03) to serve in the SRIMED Level 2 Hospital in Bor, South Sudan, says Sri Lanka Army.

The Sri Lanka Army, taking its increased and matured professionalism to foreign shores with an urgent medical project at the request of the UN, has succeeded in establishing its first-ever SRIMED Level 2 Hospital in Bor, South Sudan a few years ago under the UN Mission.

The project has reportedly been hailed as ‘one of the fastest and well-planned projects ever seen in Mission Director’s entire UN career’ headed by Lieutenant Colonel Rohan Fernando.

Ten officers and 50 other ranks will take over duties as a replacement for 62-strong member contingent under the Phase 5 that is expected to return to the island this afternoon (03) upon successful completion of their tenure of office in South Sudan.

Sri Lanka, now recognized as a Troop Contributing Country by the UN, has come in for praise for her members of the armed forces and their contribution to the African continent remains noteworthy according to the UN reports.

This South Sudan-based new SRIMED Hospital, equipped with necessary components for secondary care medical services, including an operating theatre, labour room, intensive care unit, emergency department, out-patient department, dental surgery, dental workshop, pharmacy, medical store, radiology department, clinical laboratory, ECG room, sterilizing department, biomedical engineering section, medical waste disposal section, freezer mortuary, isolation ward and laundry plus wards, also enjoys an aero-medical evacuation facility with ambulatory resuscitation and ventilation capabilities.

Several senior officers were at the airport to see them off this morning.