Introduction

While visiting Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also visited hospitals in each province and learned about the lack of medical equipment. Afterwards, Her Royal Highness provided provincial hospitals with medical equipment according to their requests. Her Royal Highness also realizes that medical and health services are important in making people healthy and free of illness, and these require efficiency as well as medical personnel and technology of high quality. As a result, technical cooperation began in the year 2000 in accordance with Her Royal Highness’s initiative. Each year 50-60 medical and health personnel from provincial and district hospitals and health offices participate in the training program in Thailand. The aims of the
training program are to provide knowledge and skills in modern and advanced medical technologies and to provide the opportunities for medical and health personnel from both countries to exchange their experiences. The training programs cover at least 19 topics.

In addition, technical assistance and exchanging experiences have been continuously provided through a Newsletter that is published twice a year. Other activities include monitoring at work places by Professors from Mahidol Univer sity and organizing a Thailand-Lao PDR Medical and Public Health Conference in Lao PDR. At present, more than five hundred medical and health personnel benefit from this cooperation.

Development Activities

Publication