Vientiane hospitals will arrange for extra medical staff and supplies to be on standby 24 hours a day over the international New Year to deal with the expected surge in emergency admissions.

Doctors expect the number of road accidents will increase at the end of 2013 when people celebrate the coming of the New Year.

Mittaphab Hospital Director, Dr Phouthone Moungpak, said that the hospital has already made plans to deal with the overwhelming number of patients during the festival.

“Actually, medical staff will double their responsibilities in order to deal with unexpected accidents during this time. In addition, some medical teams are assigned to work around the clock at the hospital. Meanwhile other doctors and nurses will be on call in the case of an emergency.”

Under the Ministry of Health's assignment, all patients suffering from brain and bone injuries should be sent to Mittaphab Hospital.

Mittaphab's Intensive Care Unit usually sees 60-80 admissions a day, 30 of which are road accident victims.

Dr Phouthone said the number of casualties from road accidents usually doubles or even triples during international New Year's Eve and also during Pi Mai Lao.

Deputy Director General of Setthathirath Hospital, Dr Vangyer Nengmongvang, said doctors will be required to work harder because the number of road accident victims always rises over New Year.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Setthathirath Hospital usually treats 70 people per day; of which about four are traffic accident victims. Dr Vangyer expects the number of accident victims will double during the New Year period.

“However, patients will be sent to Mittaphab Hospital if they require brain or bone surgery,” he said.

Meanwhile Mahosot Hospital has also prepared extra medical staff and supplies to make sure that all road accident victims are saved on time.

The hospital has recorded that typically, over this period, about 200 people come to the ICU every day, of which 10 are road accident victims.

Doctors from all of these hospitals have urged revellers to be responsible and enjoy the celebrations responsibly. They encouraged motorists not to drink and drive, obey the speed limits and not run through red lights.

“If you follow the traffic regulations you will have a good time and enjoy the New Year in safety, as well as ensure you don't incur expensive medical fees,” Dr Vangyer said.

Beerlao New Year

Beef Cake wrote on 28^th Dec, 2013 at 1:47am:


An average of 30 road accident victims per day is quite pathetic for a small city, really. And this is for "normal days" too, they are expecting it to double or triple in just one day of celebration.

I can understand if the hospital had 1 or 2 road accident victims per week, but 30 per day?

That's 900 people requiring intensive care per month as a result of a road accident in one hospital. That's not including those with minor injuries or those with no injuries but are involved in an accident. Pathetic.

It just goes to show that our roads are no good, and our road rules are no good.

Man Lao Hospital scare me. I think i'll skip over to Thailand and get service if i had the money.

Heck yea i will.