Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to South Sudan (Wau) completes emergency air medical evacuation

By Miao Changhao and Li Shuting Chinese peacekeeping military doctors conduct medical evacuation. (Photo by Ma Guodong) BEIJING, June 5 -- Recently, the 16th Chinese Peacekeeping Level-II Hospital to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) responded rapidly and made every effort to treat a foreign peacekeeper who suddenly fell seriously ill in the Wau mission area of South Sudan, and evacuated the patient to Juba under the UNMISS framework. At 2:40 a.m. local time on May 26, the patient suddenly experienced respiratory distress, high fever, and frequent diarrhea. After initial treatment at a Level-I hospital, his condition worsened and he was urgently transferred to the Level-II Hospital running by Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent at 4:00 a.m. Following two hours of intensive rescue efforts, the patient's consciousness improved. Examinations revealed multiple spinal space-occupying lesions with bone destruction, mediastinal space-occupying lesions, as well as combined cardiac and renal insufficiency and moderate anemia. The Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent immediately activated a multi-disciplinary team consultation, bringing together experts from neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and other specialties. At 7:30 a.m., after comprehensive assessment, the patient was confirmed to be in critical condition, requiring an urgent evacuation. The air evacuation team sprang into action according to the plan, simultaneously advancing tasks such as medical record preparation, emergency equipment preparation, and flight application. At 11:10 a.m., UNMISS approved the evacuation request. After a two-hour air transfer, the aircraft arrived in Juba. The evacuation team safely transferred the patient to the higher-level hospital and completed all handover procedures, bringing the mission to a successful close. This 12-hour life-saving operation marked the first emergency medical evacuation mission completed by the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent since its deployment to the mission area. It thoroughly tested the training outcomes from the previous medical evacuation training course and fully honed the contingent's capabilities in emergency treatment and urgent evacuation, earning high praise from UNMISS and peacekeeping troops from other countries. A Chinese peacekeeping military doctor examines the patient's condition. (Photo by Ma Guodong)