President gives advice to medical staff at Mahosot Hospital

During an official visit to Mahosot Hospital on Thursday, the President praised and thanked medical staff, whom he described as “white-shirted warriors”, for their efforts to improve healthcare, so that the majority of people now have access to better quality health services.

President Thongloun Sisoulith visits the new facilities at Mahosot Hospital. –Photo pasaxon

President Thongloun Sisoulith made the comment when talking to nurses and doctors during an official visit to the newly modernised hospital.
He also reiterated the need for medical staff to comply with professional ethics in the course of their work, as part of sector-wide efforts to raise standards.
The Director General of Mahosot Hospital, Dr Souxath Vongphachanh, reported on the success of health sector policies, saying that more people are now able to get the treatment they need.
Medical staff have also broadened their knowledge and capacity in technical medicine and related fields, which advance on a daily basis.
The hospital will continue to develop the capacity and knowledge of its medical staff, to ensure that quality health services are provided in line with the government’s health development policies, he said.
Minister of Health Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith said the hospital has largely been rebuilt on a 5-hectare site and that, when the upgrade is fully complete, it will be the largest hospital in the country.
Construction is taking place in two phases, with the first phase seeing the completion of eight-storey and four-storey buildings, while another five-storey building and a four-storey building are scheduled for completion in the near future.
The hospital, which now has 600 beds and a rooftop helicopter pad, was rebuilt and funded by the People’s Republic of China at a cost of CNY592 million (US$92 million).
The Chinese government has also provided medical equipment for the hospital, and will offer three years of training for medical personnel when construction of the facility is complete.
A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction took place in 2017, attended by former President Bounnhang Vorachit, during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Mahosot Hospital was one of the first hospitals to be built in Laos, established by French doctors in 1910, with some of the original buildings still remaining and in use.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update October 13, 2023)