When a 3-year-old girl with a skull fracture was rushed to a Lao hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no other options. The borders were closed, and sending her to Thailand wasn’t possible.
Her family was terrified, but she was quickly treated by one of only two neurosurgeons in the country—and months later, she was back to her normal, healthy self.
For Sébastien Perret, the founder of Vientiane Rescue, it was clear that it was time to step up investment in local healthcare.
“Before COVID, we sent many patients to Thailand to make sure they got the best care. But when the borders closed, we had no choice but to put our trust in local hospitals. We realized we had to rethink how we view healthcare in Laos,” Perret said.
Laos has long been seen as a country where medical emergencies often result in evacuations to Thailand. But with a growing push to develop local healthcare, Laos’ assistance is changing that.
Through partnerships and a focus on strengthening local hospitals, they’re making Laos safer for both residents and travelers—and encouraging foreign insurance companies to support Laos’ healthcare system by keeping patients in-country.
The Challenge of Medical Assistance in Laos
For years, medical evacuations were the go-to solution for foreign patients in Laos. Companies operating out of Thailand would transfer patients to Bangkok or Udon Thani because healthcare quality was higher and it was easier to secure payment agreements with Thai hospitals. This practice painted Laos as a place with an unreliable healthcare system in the eyes of both locals and foreigners.
For foreign travelers and expatriates in Laos, insurance often covers medical evacuations to Thailand, but this approach limits the funds available to support Laos’ own healthcare system.
“Insurance money should go to Lao hospitals,” says Perret. “By sending patients to Thai hospitals, we’re depriving local hospitals of funds that could help improve their services and infrastructure.”
Strengthening Local Healthcare
Laos Assistance, founded by Perret in 2015, has been a major player in this shift. The company helps coordinate medical care for travelers and expatriates in Laos, ensuring they get the best treatment available, often within the country.
In 2024 alone, the organization reinvested over USD 730,000 in local hospitals by covering medical bills that would have previously gone to Thailand.
“We now try to keep patients in Laos, which helps strengthen the local healthcare system,” says Perret. “Over 70 percent of the cases we handle are treated within Laos, which helps improve the facilities here. The more money stays within the country, the better equipped local hospitals become, and the more trust people will have in the system.”
Instead of bypassing Laos hospitals, the company has worked to build relationships, creating a network of hospitals that can offer specialized care.
This is key to reducing the reliance on Thailand and increasing confidence in Laos as a healthcare destination, according to Perret.
The Future of Medical Assistance in Laos
Looking ahead, there are several challenges that remain, Perret believes. Laos Assistance is working on improving prehospital care services, which currently cover only 10 out of the country’s 17 provinces. They are also advocating for a dedicated helicopter service for medical evacuations and pushing for new international-standard hospitals being built in key cities like Luang Prabang and Pakse.
A major part of this transformation is changing the way foreign insurance companies view Laos’ healthcare system. By encouraging insurers to cover medical care in Laos rather than sending patients abroad, local assistance services aim to keep critical funds in the country, ultimately improving the local healthcare infrastructure.