Emotional reunions unfolded at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on the evening of October 10, when 12 Vietnamese military medical personnel returned after completing their duties with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). They had served with Level 2 Field Hospital No. 7.

Most of the hospital staff had already left Vietnam on September 27, but these 12 stayed behind in South Sudan to keep the facility operational and to hand over responsibilities to Level 2 Field Hospital No. 8, the incoming Vietnamese contingent.

During the final stage, the reduced team faced a heavy workload. Each member performed tasks beyond their own medical specialization, covering medical examinations and treatment, logistics, external relations, security and overall unit operations.

The handover went beyond simple inventory checks. It included transferring equipment, medical supplies, clinical procedures, operational arrangements and coordination mechanisms with UNMISS and local partners.

Even while preparing the handover, the team carried out two near‑simultaneous aeromedical evacuation missions, moving four patients by air to receive urgent care.

With the departure of the 12 medics, 62 of the 63 members of Level 2 Field Hospital No. 7 have now returned to Vietnam, leaving only one member in South Sudan who continues to serve with Level 2 Field Hospital No. 8.

The experience shows how peacekeeping medical units can maintain critical services, share practical knowledge and ensure a smooth transition, even when staffing is severely reduced.