Laos

Background Information:

• Type of Experience:

  • Great Peds ID, ED, and Malnutrition along with experience with Peds Hematology and Oncology (lots of thalassemia and ALL), newer Ped nephrology and Peds GI services.

  • For people who are a bit more adventurous in their travel and are ok being in a country with fewer resources and with less English being used.

  • Dr. Kristina Krohn travels to Laos in February, it is ideal for residents to go at that time.

  • The site is interested in simulation in an ED setting. There is also work being done in Hem/Onc.

• Is a temporary medical license required? No.

• Can a VISA be acquired upon arrival? No. A VISA should be obtained prior to departure to avoid airport delays. It can take a few weeks to process, so plan to complete the VISA application as soon as possible. Residents do need to be vetted by Health Frontiers to arrange permissions from the government to volunteer in the hospital. This requires submission of a CV and 2 references (Dr. Krohn can be one of the references). Cost for a single-entry 30-day VISA is $60 USD.

  • Complete the online visa application here:

    •  https://www.laoevisa.gov.la/

• Are language skills required in the primary spoken language? Language skills are not required in the primary spoken language (Lao), however keywords and phrases are helpful. 

• Primary Language Spoken: Lao, English, French

• Housing: The Health Frontiers House may be used when available. However traditionally, visiting residents, fellows, and attendings stay at the Villa Manoly - it costs $35 USD/night and $350 USD/month; it is a low-key establishment with hard beds and no breakfast, but there is a pool.

  • Alternatives include the Green Park Boutique Hotel.

• Dress Code: Business casual is preferred, but scrubs are also ok.

  • A button down light shirt with a skirt is recommended (Lao Sinh would be ideal but it is hard to get a hold of in the USA) for women.

• Transportation: inDrive and Loca are local driver apps. From Mahosot to Mittaphab costs less than $5, and from Mahosot to Setthathirath costs ~$8. Also, Vilay is a driver with Loca who is related to a UMN student. Dr. Kristina Krohn can share her information with you if you are interested. Also note that Lao residents often drive and are often very willing to give rides.

  • NOTE: UMN trainees, staff, and faculty are not allowed to ride motorcycles.

• Travel Medicines: see CDC for Laos for up to date information.

• Required Vaccines: see CDC for Laos for up to date information. 

History:

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is a small landlocked country in Southeast Asia, about the size of Minnesota.  Laos shares a long border with Thailand to the west and Vietnam to the east.  It borders China and Myanmar to the north, and Cambodia to the south.  The Mekong River, which originates in the Himalayas, travels across Laos, defining the country’s border with Thailand and Myanmar.  Laos is a beautiful, mountainous country, rich in natural resources and ethnic diversity.  There are 68 different ethnic groups and almost as many languages.  Although the Lao PDR remains one of the lowest income countries in the world, it has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years since the government adopted policies that promote a market-based economy.  The country has a population of 7 million with an annual growth rate of 1.4% and an average life expectancy of 68.  The population is quite young: 45% of the population is under 15 years of age.

The health status in the Lao PDR remains among the worst in Asia in terms of measurements such as infant mortality (20/1000), under fives mortality (40/1000), maternal mortality (153/100,000), preventable infectious diseases, and malnutrition.  Until the establishment of the pediatric residency training program in 1997, there were no opportunities for ongoing postgraduate medical training in the country.  

Health Frontiers (HF) is a volunteer, non-profit organization engaged in health-related activities in the US and overseas.  Founded in 1991, it looks for opportunities in international health and child development that would be lost without a volunteer effort.  HF is a catalyst organization prepared to seize small opportunities at the frontiers of health and to help nurture them into viable realities.  It was founded by Dr. Karen Olness and Hakon Torjesen, both of whom worked in Laos in the 1960s. 

The HF Laos project is aimed at helping to strengthen the struggling Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) at the National University of Laos - now called the University of Health Sciences.  HF volunteers have helped the Lao Faculty to launch intensive three-year residency training programs in pediatrics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. The pediatric residency was the first continuous postgraduate medical education in the history of the country.  The curricula are based on specific Lao health needs and are consistent with international standards. The pediatric program started in 1997, has graduated >150 pediatricians. The Internal Medicine program began in 2002 and has similarly graduated >150 internists.  For a country like Laos, with three million children and previously only seven fully trained pediatricians, the prospect of adding six to sixteen new pediatricians per year has substantial implications for child health.  The internal medicine program, started in 2002, has 18 Lao physicians in training and graduated its first class of six physicians in 2005.  HF volunteers also support Lao curriculum and faculty development, and continuing medical education for Lao faculty and graduates of the programs. 

The major HF resource supporting these activities is the donated time of volunteer faculty. There are long-term HF volunteers in Laos, who serve for year or more in return for a small living stipend.  There is also a part-time volunteer of CME activities. Other volunteers from North American Centers and Khon Kaen University (KKU) in Thailand make short-term teaching visits to Laos.  Most years, KKU provides more than 36 tuition-free training rotations per year for the Lao residents. Cash funding for the project comes mainly from individual contributions.