Inauguration and handover of Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province

On the morning of May 17, in Phonsavan town, Xieng Khouang province (Lao PDR), the inauguration ceremony of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital Project in Xieng Khouang province took place.

Vietnamese and Lao delegates attend the inauguration ceremony of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Hospital Project in Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES

The Laos-Vietnam Friendship Hospital Project in Xieng Khouang Province was started in 2016, funded by the Vietnamese Government's non-refundable aid to the Lao Government. This is Vietnam's largest ever health infrastructure development project in the northeastern region of Laos.

The project is built on a 2.5-hectare land area, with a total investment of nearly 500 billion VND, with a scale of 200 hospital beds invested by Nghe An province. The project is invested in modern facilities and equipment to serve the medical examination and treatment of people in Xieng Khouang province and neighboring areas, along with a training program for Lao doctors and nurses at the hospital.

Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee spoke at the project inauguration ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the project contributes to further strengthening the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general, and Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces in particular.

The project also gradually forms and develops specialized departments, good experts, a nationwide standardized medical network and synchronous equipment with sufficient capacity and treatment for all types of diseases, and patients with economic capacity can be treated on demand.

Leaders of departments, branches and sectors of Nghe An province attended the ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long affirmed that the inauguration ceremony of the project today is an important milestone in the friendship between Vietnam and Laos and the two twin provinces of Nghe An and Xieng Khouang on the occasion of May 19, the 133rd anniversary of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Year.President Ho Chi Minh - the one who fostered solidarity, friendship, cooperation, comprehensiveness, and specialness between the two countries and two peoples of Vietnam and Laos.

The Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee requested and hoped that the staff of Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province would quickly receive and skillfully use the installed medical equipment, promoting the highest efficiency to continuously improve the quality of medical examination and treatment.

Comrade Tran Quoc Phuong - Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee spoke at the ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Tran Quoc Phuong - Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee emphasized that this is one of the key projects that the senior leaders of the two Parties and States pay special attention to, and closely direct to complete and put into operation in compliance with the regulations of the health sectors of the two countries.

The project to build the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province has faced many difficulties and challenges since the project started; especially the project was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. After the efforts of the two countries' agencies, the project has been completed, ensuring quality and put into use today.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong presents gifts from the Minister of Planning and Investment to the Department of Health of Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

On this occasion, the Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee sincerely thanked the Government and relevant agencies of Laos and Xieng Khouang province and highly appreciated and acknowledged the efforts of the functional units of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee in closely coordinating and effectively resolving the difficulties and problems of the project in a timely manner.

"The completion and handover of the project affirms the political determination of the two governments in resolving difficulties and obstacles, creating breakthrough developments to promote the progress of implementing key and strategic economic cooperation projects between the two countries," Mr. Tran Quoc Phuong emphasized.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province presented the Minutes of handover of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital Project in Xieng Khouang province to the leaders of Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

In the coming time, the Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee requested the People's Committee of Nghe An province to direct functional units to continue to closely coordinate with functional agencies of Laos and Xieng Khouang province to effectively carry out maintenance, warranty, operation, and training work within the framework of the project committed to Xieng Khouang province.

At the same time, the Lao Government is requested to continue directing ministries, branches and functional agencies of Xieng Khouang province to complete the procedures for receiving and effectively operating the project and soon issue an official diplomatic note requesting the dispatch of medical forces from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to support after the hospital is handed over today.

SEND DEEP THANKS TO THE PARTY, STATE AND PEOPLE OF BROTHERLY VIETNAM

Comrade Vieng-xa-van Vi-lay-phon - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Cooperation Committee spoke at the ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

Speaking at the ceremony, Comrade Vieng-xa-van Vi-lay-phon - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Cooperation Committee emphasized that this project has once again clearly demonstrated the tradition of solidarity and mutual assistance between Vietnam and Laos.

"We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Party, State and People of Vietnam, who, despite facing many difficulties, have wholeheartedly provided timely assistance to the Lao people in the spirit of brotherhood: "A grain of rice is bitten in half, a stalk of vegetable is broken in half", said the Standing Vice Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Cooperation Committee.

Comrade Si-vi-lay Seng-cha-lon - Provincial Party Committee member, Deputy Governor of Xieng Khouang province spoke at the ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

That assistance affirms the determination to promote the great tradition of friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos that President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane built and has been diligently nurtured by generations of leaders to increasingly bear fruit.

Speaking at the reception of the hospital, Comrade Si-vi-lay Seng-cha-lon - Provincial Party Committee member, Deputy Governor of Xieng Khouang province said that Xieng Khouang is a province heavily affected by war, combined with the changing environment, the epidemic situation tends to explode, affecting people's health.

Leaders of Vietnam and Laos performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the project. Photo: Pham Bang

However, service facilities are lacking, medical equipment is not modern, and the qualifications and capacity of staff do not meet the needs.

Therefore, the project to build the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province, which has been completed and inaugurated today, will bring great benefits to the people of Xieng Khouang and neighboring provinces, creating favorable conditions for health care for the people of Lao ethnic groups.

Delegates attending the ceremony visited the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

Delegates visit the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province. The project has been invested in modern equipment and facilities. Photo: Pham Bang

Delegates visit Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

The Laos-Vietnam Friendship Hospital in Xieng Khouang province was provided by the Vietnamese Government as a non-refundable aid to the Lao Government in Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Pham Bang

Receiving the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Hospital project in Xieng Khouang province, the Deputy Governor of Xieng Khouang province affirmed that the province will preserve, put into use, and serve the people of Xieng Khouang province and the people of neighboring provinces in the most effective way according to the direction of the two countries' senior leaders, commensurate with the expectations of the two Parties, two States and people of Laos and Vietnam.

Pham Bang