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LAOS - Official launch of the new Luxembourg-funded Bolikhamxay provincial hospital
A handing over ceremony of the brand new Bolikhamxay provincial hospital took place on 10 July 2018 in the provincial capital Pakxan.
The ceremony was attended by Associate Professor Dr Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health, PhD Mr Kongkeo Xaysongkham, Governor of Bolikhamxay Province, PhD Mr Kikeo Chanthabouly, Deputy-Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Mr Claude Jentgen, Chargé d’affaires at the Luxembourg Embassy in Vientiane, senior officials from the concerned Ministries of Bolikhamxay Province and representatives from the Luxembourg Development Cooperation.
The newly built hospital complex includes a new core development and renovation of buildings from the old provincial facilities.
The new complex has been designed to function as the referral centre for Bolikhamxay but will also perform as the teaching and training centre for the comprehensive and expanded programme of human resource capital development supported by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation.
The hospital includes a modern technical block of three high-tech operating theatres, a central sterilizing department, an expanded maternity department complete with two delivery suites, radiology and laboratory departments incorporating bacteriology and hematology specialties.
Specialized outpatient services include dentistry, physiotherapy, Ear-Nose-Throat and Eye clinics.
Inpatient services have been designed to focus on patient-centred quality of care. Dedicated resting and open spaces have been provided to facilitate a friendly climate for both patients and staff. Dedicated overnight shelters for families are foreseen in the next phase.
This development is part of the long-standing support to the Lao health sector support project LAO/027 by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation. The focus is on health system strengthening and it is fully aligned with the national health sector reform strategy. In addition to supporting human resource capacity development, health financing, provincial governance and improvements to quality in service delivery, the construction and provision of equipment underpin the establishment of a suitable enabling environment.
The facility serves a population of 285,000 inhabitants and is the reference centre for seven district hospitals and 40 health centres. The hospital complex employs 180 staff members, of which 30 are medical doctors and specialists and 75 nurses and midwives. Based on previous months’ operations, the projected 2018 attendance figures are 35,000 external out-patients visits, including 1,500 dental and 2,800 ophthalmology patients. A total of 140 beds are equipped for 7,000 hospitalisations, 1,100 deliveries and 1,400 surgery cases, among which 200 are expected to be caesarean sections. More than 25,000 laboratory examinations, 10,000 radiology and echo examinations are forecast during 2018. Currently, the bed occupancy rate is 83 per cent.
The hospital services scope is also fully compliant with the recently issued “Essential Health Services Package 2018-2020”. The facility also provides preventive services, focused on mother and child care, while the recent Ministry of Health Insurance Initiative will increasingly reach the more vulnerable segments of the population with equitable health care.
The work started in August 2015 and was completed in April 2018. Luxembourg contributed 2,965,000 USD for the construction of the 4,800 square meters central facility and 2,300 square meters of ancillary services such as the technical maintenance department, waste management, central medical gasses infrastructure, parking lots and landscaping. An additional 980,000 USD was provided on high-end medical equipment, instruments and medical furniture.
Although building construction and medical equipment installation is completed, some works are ongoing and are planned in 2018-19, including the renovation of the administration building, an additional general medicine ward, a joint venture ophthalmology operation theatre, emergency room and hospital link, pharmacy store and laundry services.
The LAO/027 project will continue to provide onsite technical expertise in hospital management, nursing and midwifery. Collaboration with third-party organizations will complement the onsite expertise to strengthen the quality of services. A three-year dedicated programme of scholarships and regional partnerships is operational for the upgrading of skills of health care providers at both the new facility and in the province.
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