Neighbors give Lao hospitals healthy dose of support
Cross-border care, training and medical exchanges boost patients' treatment options
Laoportor, 42, recently crossed the border from Laos into southwestern China's Yunnan province for medical treatment after local doctors failed to resolve his health problems.
The resident of a northern province of Laos was treated at a local hospital for several days for bile duct stones and liver-related issues. But his condition showed little improvement. On the advice of a Lao doctor, he traveled to Mengla County People's Hospital in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture for further treatment.
After spending a day and a night at the hospital, Laoportor said he felt much better. When interviewed by China Daily recently, he was still weak and remained in bed with his wife at his side. He said he was gradually recovering.
"I am very grateful to the medical team here," he said. "The service and facilities are good, and the medical team is highly skilled. When I go back, I will recommend the hospital to people I know."
Laoportor is far from alone. Xishuangbanna shares a 677-kilometer border with Laos. Six townships and 14 villages lie along the frontier.
Mengla County People's Hospital received more than 13,000 foreign patients in 2025, compared with about 500 in 2013, according to Miao Zhihai, Party secretary of the hospital. Lao nationals accounted for 97.5 percent of its foreign patients last year.
What began largely with emergency and critical cases has expanded to include chronic disease treatment, maternal and child healthcare, health checks and disease prevention, Miao said. Across Xishuangbanna, public medical institutions treated more than 30,000 foreign patients in 2025, according to the prefecture's health commission.
But the growing flow of patients into China tells only part of the story. Along the border, Chinese medical services and expertise are being extended into Laos so more patients can be treated closer to home.
However, this raises a practical question: can cross-border healthcare grow without putting pressure on Chinese medical resources? Hospital officials told China Daily the current number of foreign patients remains within the hospital system's capacity without affecting services for local residents.
