Our scholarship programme

The Swiss Laos Hospital Project is committed to improving healthcare in Laos – amongst other things, by awarding scholarships to healthcare professionals for further training and professional development.

For healthcare professionals in district and provincial hospitals, such as doctors, nurses and midwives, specialist training and professional development are often unaffordable.

Our scholarship programme enables selected healthcare professionals to receive further training at a central hospital in their province or in the capital, Vientiane. These trainings range from three months (e.g. in ultrasound diagnostics, anaesthesia or diabetology) up to three years (specialist training).

These scholarships are subject to a commitment to return: the specialists apply their newly acquired knowledge back at their home hospital, where it is most urgently needed.

Support that makes a difference

Our scholarships cover part of the living costs at the training locations, particularly in the capital, Vientiane, or during stays in Thailand or Vietnam. During this time, participants and their families often miss out on the additional income they would normally earn from part-time work at home, such as helping out on the family farm or in the family’s small business.

With a monthly contribution of 200 USD, we help to fund accommodation and living expenses locally. This is what makes further education and training possible for these motivated professionals.

Real-life examples

A doctor wishes to undertake further training in ultrasound diagnostics. Thanks to our scholarship, she has the opportunity to receive three months’ practical training at a provincial hospital. Over the next five years, the doctor will work at a remote health centre in the mountains, where there is an urgent need for an ultrasound specialist to manage local pregnancies. A new ultrasound machine, donated by South Korea, is ready for use. However, currently no specialist at the health centre is able to operate this machine.
Total scholarship awarded: 600 USD

A nursing specialist is attending a three-month anaesthesia training course at the nearest provincial hospital. On his return, he will be able to put the knowledge he has gained to use in the newly built operating theatre block at the district hospital and strengthen the anaesthesia team.
Total scholarship awarded: 600 USD

Specialist training in Vientiane lasts three years. Here too, the SLHP provides support in the form of a monthly allowance to help cover the higher cost of living in the capital. Over the past six years, doctors from Muang Kham District Hospital have received support for the following specialist training programmes: internal medicine, emergency medicine, gynaecology, radiology, paediatrics, visceral surgery and traumatology.
Scholarship amount: 2,400 USD per year

Conditions for granting scholarships

We know all scholarship recipients personally through our regular on-site visits.

Following an application for a scholarship, an interview is conducted with the candidates to assess their motivation and suitability.

A decision on the award of a scholarship is then made in collaboration with the respective hospital management teams.

Scholarship recipients commit to returning after their further training and to passing on their knowledge through teaching sessions.

In the case of multi-year scholarships (specialist training), we meet the candidates regularly on site, and they report on their progress once a year.

Upon their return to their home hospitals, we support the specialists on site as they pass on the skills and knowledge they have acquired.

Scholarships awarded 2015–2025

19 scholarships for doctors, 3 to 6 months, Phonsavan or Vientiane
Abdominal ultrasound (5), Gynaecological ultrasound (3), Cardiology (1), Surgery (1), Minor surgery (1), Anaesthesia (2), Paediatrics (2), Neonatology (1), Paediatric ICU (1), Ophthalmology (1), Diabetes (1)

14 scholarships for specialist training, 3 years, Vientiane
Internal Medicine (1), Family Medicine (1), A&E (1), Gynaecology (3), Paediatrics (1), Anaesthesia (3), Surgery (2), ENT (1), Radiology (1)

11 scholarships for nurses, 3 to 6 months, Phonsavan or Vientiane
Internal Medicine (1), Surgery (1), Paediatrics (1), Paediatric ICU (1), Neonatology (3), Anaesthesia (2), ICU (1), Diabetes (1)

3 scholarships for laboratory technicians, 3 to 12 months, Vientiane

Shaping the future together

With your support, we are enabling highly motivated healthcare professionals in Laos to take a crucial next step in their careers – thereby strengthening the quality of medical care for the Laotian people in the long term.