Lao Rehabilitation Foundation

Hatsayfong well project

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:25:14 +0000

The Lao Foundation helped the Hatsyfong villagers dig their own well to attain a potable water source:

Mokchak water project

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:11:31 +0000

The Lao Foundation is currently working to bring potable water to the Mokchak village.

Click here to download the Mokchak water project report.

October 2011

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:07:47 +0000

The October 2011 Mission consisted of two separate projects:

A Mobile Health Care unit, operating during nine days (October 2-10, 2011) in the three districts of Tonpheung, Huixay (BanDan) and Pha-Udom in Bokeo province. The team consisted of 52 medical workers and in total saw 4,190 patients. Click here to download the report on our Health Care in Remote Area mission for October 2011.

A Pediatric Mobile Clinic Service which provided services to over 700 infants. These included a wide range of direct medical and preventive health care interventions, and were delivered in concert with those of obstetric ultrasonography, dental, opthamologic, and internal medicine subspecialties. Click here to download the Report of Pediatric Mobile Clinic Services in Remote Area of Bokeo Province for Oct 2011.

June 2011

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:54:49 +0000

The mission started first in the northern province of Bokeo (including 3 districts) for 8 days from June 8-15, 2011, the expectant mother service was done in Bokeo province, only eye service continued after that; in LuangNamtha province (including 2 districts) for 5 days from June 17-21, in Phongsaly province (including 3 districts) for 8 days from June 23-29, and in Oudomxay province (including 2 districts) for 25 days from July 01-25.
The team provided service to all patients, with no regard to gender, age, ethnicity or religion. Services were free of charge for all patients (1,588 cases). Click here to download the report of Health Care in Remote Area for the June-July 2011 mission.

Noukone & Sayyaseth

admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:53:34 +0000

Sayyaseth (19) and Noukone (20) were both riding the family motorbike late at night in 2010 when they were hit by a car that quickly left the scene of the accident. They both suffered multiple fractures. Having only little resources, the family contacted LRF for help. We were happy to take care of their surgeries at Mittaphab Hospital and subsequent physiotherapy. They recovered well and were able to resume their studies a few months after the accident.

Monsay

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:48:03 +0000

By serendipity, we met Monsay in a small Kamhou village near Vieng Phoukha in Luang Namtha province in September 2009 while en route to Houei Xay where we planned to hold our next plastic surgery mission. A year and a half before meeting him, Monsay then 20 years old was injured in an accident that broke both bones of his lower right leg for which he was never properly treated.

We arranged for him to undergo orthopedic surgery at Mittaphab Hopsital in Vientiane. He has now fully recovered, is able to walk and is back in his village where he his first endeavor was to weave a few baskets for us in recognition for the help we gave him. We keep them preciously in our office.

February 2011 – ENT surgery

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:14:00 +0000

This 7 day mission took place from 2-8 February, 2011. ENT service is an important and necessary health care component of the provincial hospital, however, it has limited functioning due to lack of specialist’s skills and surgical equipment. The LRF provided medical care to local patients and training to local staff. This mission examined all registered patients, with no regard to gender, age, ethnicity and religion, free of charge, with a total of 224 patients seen (179 females) – with 7 different surgery types performed.

Click here to download the Feb2011-Report of ENT surgery at UDX hospital (439KB).

February 2011

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:26:17 +0000

Namor district is one of the poorest districts of Oudomxay province, bordering LuangNamtha province and China. It consists of 64 villages and 5,474 houses of which 1,262 are considered extremely poor. The LRF ran a 2nd remote healthcare mission in this district in February 2011 addressing the urgent needs of the villagers. Click here to download the PDF report of mobile health care in Namor district 2011 (394 kb)

New Health Department IT classroom

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:13:25 +0000

Given the success of the first computer classroom installed at the Department of Health in 2007, LRF agreed to develop a new computer classroom on the opposite side of Vientiane City (Thatluang) where the medical staff can further develop their computer and language skills. The new classroom is located at the Department of Health Traditional Medicine building, near LRF’s office which will allow us to closely monitor the activities and provide help when needed. After making necessary renovations in the building, we are now in the process of furnishing the classroom with locally manufactured computer desks and chairs. Hopefully, the new IT classroom will soon be operational with new computers and a dedicated teacher hired.

Lao doctor learns in the US

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:11:43 +0000

Dr. Phetsamone Indara is one of the 18 ophthalmologists of Laos, and one of two ophthalmologists serving the rugged remote northern provinces of Laos. He was born and raised in this area and currently is chief of the only “Eye Unit” in the northern provinces. Dr. Phetsamone was invited to address his peers at Stanford University Grand Rounds. The topic of his lecture was “Ophthalmologic Surgery on the Indigenous Peoples of Northern Laos in a Primitive Environment.”

He has distinguished himself as a proponent of bringing eye care to desperately ill people in those remote regions where access to health care has been limited or impossible. He has worked with the Laotian ethnic minorities who have had no access to the Lao health care system.

Trained in Laos and Thailand to become an ophthalmologist he developed with Dr. Luc Janssens of Lao Rehabilitation Foundation “Mobile Health Care in Remote Area,” an international team that brings Eye, Dental and ENT care to the diverse peoples of the Lao mountainous regions. Dr. Phetsamone does this work with no government backing and on a government salary of $80 per month.
He works during those times he can free himself from his busy position as chief ophthalmologist at the Oudomxay provincial hospital. His team is generously supported by Lao Rehabilitation Foundation and by medical volunteers from the USA.

Dr. Phetsamone was invited by Lao Rehabilitation Foundation to the Bay Area to observe and learn from ophthalmologists here, and to recruit volunteers and assistance for this program.

Stanford University

Dr. Eleonora Lad, Chief of Residents

Professor Dr. Tham

Professor Dr. Egbert