Vietnamese and Lao military officials meet to discuss expanding military medical cooperation, including specialist training, technology transfer and healthcare capacity-building. (TTXVN/VNA)
On July 29, Vietnam and Laos agreed to expand military medical cooperation by strengthening personnel training, technology transfer and specialist healthcare programmes, reinforcing long-standing defence ties between the two countries.
A delegation from the Vietnam Military Medical University, led by Political Commissar Lieutenant General Nghiêm Đức Thuận, met with Senior Lieutenant General Saichay Kommasith, Laos’ Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army (LPA).
Vietnamese Lieutenant General Thuận reviewed cooperation between Vietnam Military Medical University, its Lao counterpart and the LPA Central Hospital 103, noting that bilateral collaboration had been strengthened following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2024.
The university has trained 687 Laotian military medical personnel since 1954, including doctors, specialists, pharmacists and medical technicians. It is currently training 66 Laotian students and has sent 32 expert missions to Laos since 2011 to support teaching, curriculum development and academic capacity-building.
A key achievement has been the transfer of kidney transplant techniques to the LPA Central Hospital 103. Since late 2022, Vietnamese specialists have worked alongside Laotian doctors to perform 31 successful kidney transplants. Officials said the hospital has already achieved around 95% self-reliance in carrying out the procedure.
The two sides are also expanding cooperation in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and assisted reproductive technology. Vietnam has trained Laotian medical personnel in specialised IVF techniques and deployed experts to support preparations for introducing the service in Laos.
Lao Senior Lieutenant General Saichay welcomed the progress of the partnership, describing the kidney transplant programme as an important step in strengthening Laos’ military healthcare capabilities. He also supported cooperation in reproductive medicine, citing increasing demand for infertility treatment in the country.
The expanded cooperation reflects the broader direction of Vietnam–Laos relations, with defence partnerships increasingly extending beyond traditional military activities into healthcare and institutional capacity-building. The development follows recent high-level talks between senior officials of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, where both sides signed a new cooperation agreement for 2026–2031 and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
These expansions suggest that practical cooperation in areas such as military medicine is becoming an increasingly important element of the wider strategic partnership, complementing political coordination and defence engagement while supporting long-term national resilience.
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