Medical professionals from the U.S. Navy , Australian Army and Việt Nam perform and observe several surgeries using lasers and a laparoscope as part of a subject-matter expert exchange aboard the US Navy's Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS MERCY T-AH 19 during Pacific Partnership 2022. — Photo from US Navy

PHÚ YẾN — The Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) concluded on July 3 on USNS Mercy, a hospital ship of the US Military Sealift Command anchored at Vũng Rô Port in Đông Hòa Town, in the central province of Phú Yên.

The event was attended by representatives from Việt Nam, the US, and other PP22 countries like Australia, the UK, and Japan, along with others from the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, as well as international organisations.

From 23 medical procedures performed aboard the USNS Mercy by the US, Australian, Japanese, and Vietnamese doctors and nurses and 650 patients seen in total, to 10 band concerts with musicians from four nations reaching 6,700 people, to 115 subject-matter expert exchanges, PP22 successfully implemented a range of humanitarian activities and projects benefiting the local community in Phú Yên.

The two-week programme focused on cooperation activities in health care, the construction of classrooms and climate change response, and art and sports exchanges.

Rear Admiral Mark Melson, Commander, Task Force 73 (CTF 73), noted that local residents and experts helped them understand more about cultural sensitivity in health care.

In his remarks, US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc E. Knapper expressed his delight at the results of the PP22, calling them a message to promote the extensive and intensive cooperation between the two countries.

“The Pacific Partnership mission takes the commitments of our leaders and turns them into concrete actions. Our efforts here focused on taking care of one another today, tomorrow, and in the future. The patients in the local hospital or aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy, the elementary students at three local schools, we have all seen and felt the impact of our growing ties through our 27-year bilateral relationship, epitomized through Pacific Partnership,” said the US Ambassador.

Vice-Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and head of the organising committee of the PP22 Đào Mỹ said through the programme, doctors and engineers in Phú Yên had a chance to participate in international cooperation activities and improve their professional skills.

This is the second time the PP has been held in Phú Yên. It aims to help enhance the Việt Nam-US comprehensive partnership, friendship, and cooperation between Việt Nam and other participating countries. — VNS