The first group of the 8th Army contingent of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLAMC), bound for the United Nations Peace-Keeping Mission in South Sudan’s Level-2 Hospital (UNMISS) to serve the SRIMED Hospital left for South Sudan during early morning hours on Wednesday (29) amidst greetings of the Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva who showed up at the airport despite his day's hectic schedules. Soon after review of a simple parade, presented by those troops in honour of their Army Chief, this first group, comprised of 11 Officers and 22 Other Ranks before their boarding formalities interacted with the Army Chief who in turn wished them best of luck and reminded them of the importance of maintaining the highest level of discipline while serving and their commitment to the role and tasks in South Sudan. He shared a few thoughts with the troops and inquired into their preparedness and other concerns. A few Senior Officers were also at the airport to receive the Commander of the Army. The 8th South Sudan bound contingent, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel N.M Niflar and 2nd in-command Major D.Y.S Kumara is made up of 66 Army personnel, including Brigadier Kalana Wijewardana, Consultant Surgeon, 13 Officers with 4 Medical specialists. The contingent includes Ward In-Charge, nurses, critical care nurses (gynaecological), operation theatre technician, Physiotherapists (DPM), radiographer, X-ray technician, radiologist, dentist and dental assistant, dental technician, medical storeman, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, lab technician, lab technologists, communication technicians, hygiene assistant, administrative clerk, cooks, ambulance drivers, sanitary duty man, mortuary attendant, etc and Other Ranks from the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (40) Sri Lanka Signal Corps( 02), Corps of Engineer Service (02), Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers( 04), Sri Lanka Army Service Corps (01) and Sri Lanka Navy (01). The rest of the contingent is due to depart on 31 January 2022 soon after the first group of the serving contingent returns home. This South Sudan's Bor-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, the sterilizing department, biomedical engineering section, medical waste disposal section, freezer mortuary, isolation ward and laundry plus wards and an aero-medical evacuation facility with ambulatory resuscitation and ventilation capabilities, is manned by Sri Lankan troops and their services to-date under 7 contingents have come in for praise of UN authorities . Senior officers including Major General Vikum Liyanage, Chief of Staff, Major General Nishantha Manage, Director General General Staff, Directors, SLAMC Senior Officers, Officers, Other Ranks were at the airport to see them off to the UNMISS in South Sudan.