IN PROGRESS

Laos

Exploring ways to bring relief to a challenging healthcare system

country updates

Medical care in general is inadequate and unevenly distributed in Lao PDR. Early access to health care are limited resulted in advance stage of diseases. Palliative care is hence in need seriously. With the support of Lien Foundation, palliative care education has been implemented since the beginning of 2023, services will be started in 8 major hospitals very soon. With continuity of palliative care education the services will be established in all major hospitals. The health professional who has been trained from the Lien program have great compassion and are eager to start their hospital palliative program, and in the coming year the Laos Palliative Care Association will be established.

Dr Srivieng Pairojkul

Head, Karunruk Pallaitive Care Center, Srinagarind Hospital Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University

Our IMpact

Participants

[In progress]

Institutions

[In progress]

Members of the Lien Collab with the team from Laos.

Located in the Indochinese Peninsula, the country of some 7.1 million people is largely of a lower middle income group and has a challenging healthcare system. The majority of medical facilities are located in the capital city of Vientiane, and there is limited access to technologies such as CT scans and cancer diagnostic tests. There is also insufficient equipment to meet the demand.

Most cancer patients in Laos visit the hospital at a late stage. There is no radiotherapy center and chemotherapy is rarely available. Only 20% of cases can afford the first dose of chemotherapy, so palliative care services are crucial to relieve patients’ suffering. However, this is currently non existent and oral morphine is unavailable too.

Together with the Karunruk Palliative Care Center and the country’s Department of Health and Ministry of Public Health, we are exploring embarking on a three-year joint teaching project. It will be facilitated by Associate Professor Srivieng Pairojkul from the Khon Kaen University (KKU) where the center is located and may extend to other major hospitals in Laos.