子ども達の健康な未来を支えるラオ・フレンズ小児病院の専門外来継続を

The Reason Behind The Crowdfunding Campaign Initiative

 

Hi there. I am Kazumi Akao, the representative of Friends Without A Border JAPAN (FWAB), a non-profit organization that provides pediatric medical care to children in Asia. I work as a nurse at the Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) in Laos as well.

 

We aim to strengthen a children's hospital that provides top-notch, compassionate healthcare in line with global standards. The fundamental principle that each team member cherishes is "compassionate care." This means treating every patient as though they are our own child. In our hospital, this mission is the foundation for all our medical endeavors.

Eventually, we aim to establish a hospital managed by Lao local staff. Instead of relying on foreign management indefinitely, we empower Lao staff to work autonomously and take the lead.

 

 

The donations of numerous individuals have helped contribute to the success of Friends Without A Border JAPAN. Although we often update our activities through annual reports and event announcements, it is challenging to provide detailed insights.

Our fundraising efforts have been greatly affected by the recent depreciation of the Yen. Funds raised in yen must be transferred to Laos in US dollars. The exchange rate today compared to a few years ago is resulting in substantial financial impacts annually.

 

Given this situation, we have been organizing charity events in both Japan and Laos to raise operational funds. Despite our efforts, these funds are inadequate, and we still need to rely on your assistance to sustain the hospital's activities.

 

Through this crowdfunding campaign, we hope to provide a genuine insight into what’s happening inside our hospital and why we need these funds. We will continue to share regular updates and information about our activities, and we ask for your generous donations and support to make this work happen.

 

 

The Journey of Our Specialized Outpatient Clinics

 

LFHC, established in 2015, initially offered only general outpatient services. We had fewer than 20 patients visiting the hospital on the opening day, but the number of patients has increased year by year, reaching more than 40,000 visits in 2023.

 

At first, every patient was treated in one outpatient clinic, but as patient numbers increased, we recognized the importance of having specialized staff for specific conditions. Consequently, we have set up five specialized outpatient clinics during the past 7 years: thalassemia, development, renal diseases, epilepsy, and bone diseases (particularly osteomyelitis).

 

The Thalassemia Clinic was made possible through a crowdfunding project in 2017, and has made an incredible impact in the lives of patients with this condition. Thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, cannot be prevented and is not curable in Laos, requiring lifelong treatment for patients.

 

 

 

 

The importance of specialized outpatient clinics has become increasingly apparent due to the unique characteristics of these diseases and the cultural and lifestyle tendencies in Laos.

 

Traditionally, specialized hospitals were only available in the capital city, Vientiane, and limited to severe cases. However, for those conditions mentioned above, continuous visiting and management by our specialized team can prevent the disease from worsening.

 

Patients who come for special outpatient care are familiar faces, having visited for about six years.

 

The importance of special outpatient clinics also extends to building strong relationships between healthcare providers, patients, and their families. At the general outpatient, we need to treat many patients within a limited timeframe which necessitates a certain speed in consultations.  However, the conditions managed by our specialized clinics require much more time to understand how various aspects of the patients' lives affect their health.

 

Once a trusting relationship is established with consistent staff, patients are more likely to openly discuss their issues. This system benefits both healthcare providers and patients as it eliminates the need to repeatedly explain the same problems.

 

To achieve this goal, we set up specialized outpatient clinics separately from general outpatient services and assigned dedicated staff. It is also essential to provide education and advice to enhance their expertise. By continuing these efforts, we aim to offer better treatment and care to more patients, which is the driving force behind our project.

 

LFHC staff (left, man in white shirt) instruct local health center staff on post-discharge patient care.

 

 

What Your Donations Can Achieve

 

Currently, five specialized outpatient clinics provide services on different days of the week due to location, staffing, and budget constraints as indicated below.

 

Tuesday: Epilepsy Clinic, Development Clinic
Wednesday: Thalassemia Clinic, Renal Disease Clinic 
Thursday: Thalassemia Clinic
Friday: Bone Disease Clinic

 

 

One doctor and one nurse are rostered at each clinic. Depending on the needs, we collaborate with other professionals such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, counselors, social workers, and home care nurses to provide comprehensive care.

 

Educating district hospital staff is also an important role of LFHC (LFHC doctor, right, man in gray shirt).

 

The number of patients registered in each specialized clinic includes 348 for thalassemia, 58 for renal disease, 29 for epilepsy, and 10-20 patients per outpatient day for bone diseases. We manage over 400 patients annually in a development clinic (as of July 2024). These clinics operate weekly.

 

In general outpatient settings, a doctor typically sees 20-30 patients per day. However, in specialized clinics, it's crucial to take the time to listen carefully and gather essential information beyond physical symptoms—including family situations, community support, economic conditions, and living environments—to devise effective treatment plans. General outpatient visits are constrained by time, and seeing different doctors each time can lead to fragmented information, hindering cohesive treatment plans.

 

Regular clinic visits can be financially burdensome for patients and their families, sometimes causing them to give up necessary care. We assess factors that may hinder clinic attendance and provide support such as covering transportation costs and offering food to cook during visits, ensuring patients can focus on treatment without additional worries.

 

Therefore, it is a major goal to build trust between healthcare providers and patients/families through detailed and compassionate care. We believe healthcare involves not only treating illnesses but also caring for PEOPLE holistically.

To ensure multidisciplinary care, we conduct regular meetings and case conferences among our hospital's multidisciplinary teams (rehabilitation, pharmacy, nutrition, home care, and social work). We also plan educational opportunities to enhance the expertise of each staff member.

 

Looking ahead, we are exploring the need to establish new clinics for conditions such as HIV infection and malignant diseases, which also require specialized and individualized care .

 

 

 

Bringing the Vision to life

 

With our crowdfunding initiatives, we also aim to raise awareness about the challenges of pediatric healthcare in Laos. Our medical services strive to assist patients in more than just treating illnesses, taking into account their everyday lives and surroundings.  We hope that this project will generate interest in Laos as a country.  

 

 

 

Ensuring Access to Specialized Outpatient Care for Every Child

        

By enhancing and sustaining these specialized outpatient clinics, our project aims to ensure that all children can access necessary medical care when they need it, leading to early detection and intervention for disabilities and illnesses.

 

This initiative seeks to bridge the gap between people and healthcare, contributing to the healthy development of children and alleviating the burden on families. 

 

The Lao People's Democratic Republic, located approximately 4,000 kilometers from Japan in Southeast Asia, is not widely known internationally compared to its neighboring countries (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and China). Through this project, we hope to raise awareness about the realities of healthcare in Laos.

 

The money gathered will be utilized for improving and maintaining specialized outpatient services, guaranteeing that every child can receive essential medical treatment. We eagerly anticipate your generous support and contributions in ensuring the success of this project.

 

It's a Lao staff member's wedding. Laos is characterized by unique cultures specific to each ethnic group.