AEC in Laos
AEC has been active in Laos since October 2007. From 9 to 20 January 2018, we worked in the Champasak Provincial Hospital (CPH) in Pakse, within the context of the AEC Collaborative Ophthalmic Training Program for Southern Laos.
In addition, at the invitation of the Ophthalmic Center of the Ministry of Health in Vientiane, AEC has introduced an intensive training program for cataract surgeries: the AEC Introductory Phacoemulsification Training Course. So far, six South Laotian ophthalmologists have successfully completed this training, and in 2017, two of them already actively participated in the work of the ophthalmic teams of AEC. In close collaboration, a total number of 499 cataract surgeries had been performed as from 2007.
Where possible, Asian Eye Care also provides ICT training and support in South-Laos, inter alia for patient registration and supply management.
To reinforce the eye clinics, we donated ophthalmic needs in January 2018, including an Alcon Infiniti phaco machine to SEH and a Zeiss OPMI microscope to CPH. Up to now, the total donation in terms of apparatus, instruments, lenses and materials amounts to US$ 220,000.