Speaking during the First Extraordinary Session of the 10th National Assembly on July 8, Minister of Health Dr. Baikham Khatthiya said the ministry remains committed to improving healthcare services, particularly for people living in remote and underserved communities.
She said the ministry will modernize central and provincial hospitals to improve service quality and enhance self-reliance in line with the government's policy of building an independent and sustainable healthcare system. At the same time, district hospitals, health centres and village health volunteers will be further strengthened to expand health education, disease prevention, screening and treatment services at the community level.
The minister said priority will continue to be given to disease prevention and health promotion while ensuring equitable, affordable and quality healthcare services for all citizens. The government will also continue supporting health insurance schemes, particularly for poor households, to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses and improve access to essential healthcare.
To strengthen service delivery, the ministry will promote domestic production of medicines and medical supplies, improve procurement and supply management systems, and decentralize procurement of essential medicines to local authorities.
However, Dr. Baikham acknowledged that shortages of healthcare personnel remain a major challenge, as annual recruitment quotas are insufficient to replace retiring and departing staff. More than 6,000 volunteer health workers are currently serving in health facilities nationwide.
She called on the Government and the National Assembly to approve additional annual recruitment quotas for the health sector and increase budget allocations for the national health insurance programme to ensure adequate funding for essential healthcare services.
Laos currently has 135 district hospitals, 1,080 health centres, nearly 10,000 healthcare personnel at district and primary healthcare levels, and more than 20,000 village health volunteers supporting community health services nationwide.