Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Paulette Lenert visited the Maria Theresa hospital in Laos on Sunday in order to see the practical results of Luxembourg's development aid.
The hospital, as the name honouring the Grand Duchess reveals, is funded by Luxembourg through cooperation aid and is widely considered an exemplary hospital for rural medicine in Laos. Laos is one of seven countries with which Luxembourg has a development cooperation partnership.
In total, around 200 individuals make up the workforce of the Maria Theresa hospital, including 30 doctors and 80 nurses. Around a quarter of the hospital's staff is made up of volunteers. The province served by the hospital has a population of around 300,000, but the concept of medical treatment is not always a reality for many residents. For many, getting to the hospital is a long and arduous journey.
The Ministry for Development Cooperation has been active in Laos for the past 20 years. The hospital was one of the ministry's largest initiatives back in 2003 and the impact of the hospital is clear: a local doctor maintains that many individuals depend on the Luxembourgish state's investment in the hospital.
The average budget for treatment at the hospital is estimated at €40 per person. Of the 7,000 patients at the hospital each year, the majority come to the hospital for digestive issues caused by malnutrition. However, the hospital also focuses on treating children.
The United Nations' development index places Laos at spot 139 out of 187, with a quarter of the population under the poverty line. Farmers in the Southeast Asian country especially require assistance from the state in making ends meet.
Luxembourg's investment into the hospital's infrastructure lays at around €4 million mark and is considered an investment in the future as well. The hospital also includes a nursing school, which trains around 50 new nurses each year helped by foreign doctors.
