Medical skills acquired through training in Korea are being applied to patient care and capacity building for healthcare professionals in Lao PDR. Through the clinical course of the Dr Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship Program, the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) provides healthcare professionals from partner countries with specialized medical training and clinical experience, while supporting the continued application and dissemination of their knowledge and skills after they return home. The program’s official English name is the “Dr Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship Program.”

During follow-up consultations conducted in Lao PDR in September 2026, KOFIH observed how Lao fellows were applying skills acquired in Korea to actual patient care, sharing their expertise with colleagues, and contributing to improvements in clinical practice and training systems at their institutions.

▲ Lao's First Cerebral Angiography Performed by Local Healthcare Professionals

At Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane, cerebral angiography was performed for two patients with ischemic stroke, marking the first such procedures in Lao PDR. Mahosot Hospital is the hospital’s official English name.

Cerebral angiography is an important diagnostic procedure used to closely examine blood vessels in the brain for conditions such as cerebral aneurysms, vascular malformations, and vascular occlusions and to guide decisions on endovascular treatment.

The consultation covered not only the procedure itself but the full range of processes required for cerebrovascular interventions, including equipment setup, contrast administration, preparation of procedural supplies, patient management, and infection control.

By participating in the entire cerebral angiography process with actual patients, Lao healthcare professionals gained practical experience that can serve as a basis for gradually developing local capacity to diagnose cerebrovascular diseases and provide endovascular treatment. The September procedures at Mahosot Hospital were also reported locally as Laos’ first cerebrovascular procedures under the Fellowship Program.

▲ Expanding the Use of Laparoscopic Surgery in Local Clinical Practice

At the Mother and Child Hospital in Vientiane and Savannakhet Provincial Hospital, laparoscopic techniques were applied to surgical and obstetric and gynecological procedures that had previously relied mainly on open surgery. “Mother and Child Hospital” and “Savannakhet Provincial Hospital” are the English names used in Lao official news reporting.

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique performed through small incisions, which can help reduce postoperative pain and support patient recovery.

Lao healthcare professionals who had received training in Korea participated in actual procedures alongside Korean medical professionals and shared techniques for using laparoscopic instruments and performing laparoscopic surgery with their colleagues. This provided local healthcare professionals with opportunities to gain first-hand experience with new surgical techniques and broaden the application of laparoscopic surgery in clinical practice.

The consultations also reviewed patient safety practices, including pre- and postoperative patient management and coordination among healthcare professionals, to support the safe and sustainable integration of laparoscopic surgery into the local healthcare setting.

▲ From Training in Korea to Changes in Local Healthcare Institutions

These outcomes extend beyond individual clinical procedures. They demonstrate how fellows have applied the knowledge and skills acquired in Korea to their work and shared them with colleagues and institutions.

At a performance-sharing meeting held prior to the follow-up consultations, fellows from the 2024–2026 clinical course of the Dr Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship Program presented their action plans and examples of how they had applied their training after returning to their respective healthcare institutions.

Their activities included improving clinical protocols, standardizing medical techniques and work procedures, and providing training for fellow healthcare professionals. Through these efforts, competencies developed by individual fellows have contributed to capacity building among their colleagues and to improvements in clinical and training systems within their institutions.

▲ Continuing Capacity Building through Follow-up Cooperation

KOFIH will continue to support the Dr Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship Program so that medical knowledge and experience acquired in Korea can be applied and shared sustainably in local healthcare settings rather than remaining solely with individual fellows.

Based on the clinical outcomes identified through the latest follow-up consultations, including cerebral angiography and laparoscopic surgery, as well as the needs of local healthcare institutions, KOFIH plans to explore further cooperation through repeated training, step-by-step transfer of medical techniques, and clinical consultations.

Through these efforts, KOFIH will continue to support a sustainable cycle in which healthcare professionals learn in Korea, apply their skills in their home institutions, and share their expertise with colleagues and healthcare organizations.