Lao patients turn to Yunnan border hospital for advanced care

For many Lao patients, a hospital near the China-Laos border in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, has become a destination for medical treatment.

Among them was Phongsavath, a 40-year-old Lao national who followed his brother's advice to visit Mengla County People's Hospital for a medical check-up. Doctors found stones in both of his kidneys, and he gradually recovered after receiving treatment.

Phongsavath said he chose the hospital for its advanced medical equipment, attentive service, and quality of care. His experience is part of a growing flow of Lao patients seeking medical care across the border.

The hospital received more than 13,000 international patients in 2025, up from about 500 in 2013, according to Miao Zhihai, Party secretary of the hospital. Lao nationals accounted for 97.5 percent of its non-Chinese patients last year.

The change goes beyond patient numbers. Miao said cross-border patients initially came largely for emergency and critical care, but their needs have expanded to include chronic disease treatment, maternal and child healthcare, health checks, and disease prevention. In response, the hospital has also worked to make its services more accessible to Lao patients.

For Liu Sha, a 40-year-old translator at the hospital, interpreting is only part of the job. "We are not just translators; sometimes we also have to take on the role of family members," she said. "We need to put ourselves in the patients' shoes to build trust with them and ease their anxiety."

Cross-border cooperation also includes training medical workers from Laos. Souliphone Nanthilath, a clinician at Luang Namtha City Hospital in Laos, arrived in China on June 8 for training in general surgery, including clinical practice, ward rounds, and case discussions. "I hope that through China-Laos medical cooperation, more Lao patients will be able to receive better medical care in our own country," she said.