BLM wrote:

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It has always been under my impression that children-hospital exists in Vientiane Laos since it is a capital city of the country but there isn’t any? Do they even have a fire station? I now realized how that my motherland is indeed very poor. So much bragging about pride, and greatness going on in here but in reality, there is nothing much. Thank you Korea for your heartfelt sympathy and my sincere gratitude can only be expressed through striking of my keyboards.

Vientiane - South Korea has granted 3.5 million dollars to build Laos' first children's hospital, media reports said Wednesday. Construction of the Lao-Korean National Children's Friendship Hospital will begin this month and be completed by October 2010, the Vientiane Times reported.

 The new hospital, which will have 160 beds and 200 medical staff, is to be built in Chanthabouly district in Vientiane, near the capital's only other hospital, the Soviet-built Mittaphab Hospital. Laos, one of the world's poorest countries, offers rudimentary health services for its 6.7 million population.

  would play an important role in reducing child mortality and helping Laos to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals," said the state-run Vientiane Times.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292103,south-korea-funds-laos-first-childrens-hospital.html

BLM that is why outsiders can see opportunities in Laos, because it still lacks some basic things. I have some fellow citizens doing consultancy in Lao PDR who would like to stay there and put up some business or to continue consultancy for new things being put up there. I'd bet that new hospital will have some external people for quite a while to help them ensure it runs well and that medical staff performs the right things for providing quality care/service. However, investros are probably testing the waters since the situation there is also unique. Nobody would blindly take a risk of losing money that is why progress is a little bit turtle-phased (it used to be snail paced but I think its moving relatively faster now compared to years before).


Going back to the topic. I just feel so happy to learn that a children's hospital is now being put up in Laos. Its very necessary especially for sick children needing special care but not receiving it due to the lack of facilities in the existing hospitals and competing with sick adults for chance to use the existing limited resources and equipment. Think there is a small pool of pediatricians in and around VNT. But my impression, is due to lack of opportunity to learn from actual practice (since patients needing special/ advance care are moved to Thailand or poor dont even dare come to a hospital for check-up due to fear of spending money that they dont have) quite a number of them lacks skills and expertise, for example in identifying the difference between an encephalitis and a bacterial meningitis to come up with an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the right medication and treatment protocol.

I hope the Lao govt will be able to sustain its operation because Im guessing that Korea will only sponsor the building not the continuity of operation. I also hope it has adequate laboratory capacity since illness in children are quite vague and laboratory confirmation is crucial. Lastly, I hope they will send truly qualified doctors to work in that hospital and provide them training and continuous learning opportunities for the sake of Laotian children.... the hope of your nation.

All the best for LPDR!!!!
Cheers!

Lehc-reversed3

South Korea has progressed very fast after the Korean war and now is prosperous so much so that she can help feed her North Korean brothers and sisters as well as other people around the globe. Thank you South Korean people and their government for extending your help to Laos.

Me wrote:

All the best for LPDR!!!!
Cheers!

Lehc-reversed3

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A country without a single hospital for children especially in the capital city is beyond the scope of my mental capacity to comprehend its destitute. Though Laos has been a poor state but its combined national monetary strength at its current disposal should be able for at least a small budgetary construction of a children's hospital provided that the government has a will. The term Nakhon Luang Vieng Chun sounds impressively glorious from which ones can't deny the illusionary expectation but that's the irony from ones' beliefs. I just can't think of any countries in the world without a children's hospital. Nonetheless, we all should be pleased to its approaching reality. It must be due to the government of Lao PDR's methodical handling its foreign policy for it to obtain the ongoing cooperative efforts from the international community. What can be reciprocated in return for South Korea's generosity if the interrelationship takes its precedence unless other promises and concessions already took place between state to state before this unexpected projection caught us by surprise.

Regards,       

 

Anonymous wrote:

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Thank you south korea for helping laos

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When you thank South Korea,you have to thank U.S.A. too.