Neighbors give Lao hospitals healthy dose of support

Remote diagnosis

In April 2025, a 61-year-old man from Muang Sing district in Laos was rushed by his family to Mengla County People's Hospital after suffering chest pain for two hours.

An electrocardiogram in the emergency department showed an extensive anterior myocardial infarction, according to Li Guipeng, director of the hospital's cardiology department. Within 32 minutes of admission, the patient was in the catheter room, where cardiologists opened a completely blocked coronary artery and implanted a stent. Blood flow was restored 58 minutes after he arrived at the hospital, and he was discharged a week later.

"In the past, patients like this could only receive thrombolytic therapy or face a long-distance transfer," Li said. "Now we can provide coronary intervention here."

Expertise in cardiovascular treatment is also beginning to help patients before they cross the border.

Since December 2024, Mengla County People's Hospital has connected seven hospitals in northern Laos to its remote ECG network. Lao medical workers perform the examination locally and transmit the results in real time to the cardiac center in Mengla, where specialists interpret them and send diagnostic reports back.

If an ECG shows signs of an acute myocardial infarction, severe arrhythmia or another high-risk condition, the system can trigger an alert, helping doctors identify patients who may need urgent treatment or transfer.

By May 9, more than 60 Lao patients had received remote ECG diagnoses through the network. Li said it had helped identify and issue early warnings for several patients with serious cardiovascular conditions, allowing them to be transferred to Mengla earlier for further treatment.

The model extends beyond Mengla. Xishuangbanna People's Hospital has established a remote ECG network with hospitals in five northern Lao provinces, providing more than 8,000 remote diagnoses to date, according to the prefecture's health commission.