Strengthening hospital management in Laos

The professional training of medical staff is a central concern of the Swiss Laos Hospital Project. However, even well-trained doctors and nurses can only fulfil their tasks optimally if they work in a well-functioning organisation.

Under the leadership of Dr. Alphons Schnyder, the Swiss Laos Hospital Project is therefore developing initiatives to strengthen management in Lao hospitals. This way, we want to make a contribution to better patient care and more efficient use of resources.

In concrete terms, our specialists advise the Laotian Ministry of Health on hospital management issues and accompany corresponding pilot projects in the hospitals. In addition, we regularly organise one-week courses for hospital managers in which we share knowledge and skills in hospital management and organisation.

Activities 2025

Our hospital management working group has been supporting the Laotian Ministry of Health in the process of hospital autonomy for five years. This process allows pilot hospitals to make their own decisions regarding the use of resources and hospital organization in order to improve the quality of treatment for patients.

In February 2025, the roll-out meeting was held with the Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, to launch hospital autonomy at provincial hospital level. Participants were the directors of the ten provincial hospitals that will start with the first autonomy steps, as well as the directors of the five central hospitals that have successfully implemented pilot steps in the last three years.

Activities 2024

Following a request from the Laotian Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, the training on management and leadership was continued with managers from the central hospitals. A training week was held at Mahosot Hospital and Mittaphab Hospital, each with 30 participants for an introduction to hospital management and the teaching of leadership guidelines.

To this end, it was involved in the conceptualization of hospital autonomy and the start of the roll-out phase. The aim is for selected hospitals to assume greater responsibility.

The autonomy process was extended to the provincial hospitals in Champasak, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Savannakhet, Xiengkhuang, Vientiane, Khammouan, Borikhamxay, Xayaboury and Bokeo.

As a kick-off, a meeting was held with the directors of the ten provincial hospitals at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane. Four months later, three-day workshops were held in Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Savannaketh to introduce hospital autonomy and provide practical tools for implementation. Directors, nursing managers, finance managers and HR managers from the ten provincial hospitals took part.

The central hospitals Mahosot, Mittaphab and Settharthirath had already started piloting hospital autonomy in 2023. The Mother Newborn Hospital and the Children Hospital joined in 2024. Alphons Schnyder held meetings with the hospital managements of the five central hospitals to monitor the implementation process and plan the measures for 2025.

Activities 2023

180 managers from the five central hospitals in Laos were trained in hospital management and leadership. The SLHP also contributed to the concept for greater hospital autonomy on behalf of the Laotian Minister of Health. The three central hospitals selected for piloting (Mahosot, Mittaphab and Setthathirath) were supported in the implementation of autonomization steps. To this end, workshops were held with the three hospital managements. In addition, training sessions were held at the Children Hospital and the Mother and Newborn Hospital to introduce hospital autonomy.

A delegation of eight Laotian healthcare executives visited KSW, Kantonsspital Schaffhausen, USZ and Privatklinik Hohenegg on their way home from a congress in Geneva at Whitsun 2023.

Activities 2022

A video conference on the topic of “Good Governance” was coordinated with the Laotian Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith. The hospital directors of Mother and Newborn Hospital, Mittaphab Hospital, Mahosot Hospital and Children's Hospital attended.

A kick-off meeting on the “Hospital Autonomy” project was held in Vientane with the Laotian Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Bounfeng.

In addition, a management course was held with hospital directors and finance and HR managers from five central hospitals and some provincial hospitals. The main topic was increased management autonomy, with the requirement to draw up an action plan for the MOH and a follow-up event in January 2023.

Health Minister Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith made a stopover in Zurich on a flight to Geneva and met with several SLHP representatives.