A group of Calgary volunteers are making a difference to people living half a world away.
Retired physicians from the University of Calgary are helping train doctors from Laos so they can use their new skills to help their people.
Clarence Guenter is the U of C professor leading the project. He is a retired doctor and says the Laotians are eager students.
"They are just as bright as people anywhere in the world," says Guenter. "Many of them have not had learning opportunities but given the opportunity, they leapfrog in their learning as compared to North American students. Many of them are much more motivated. They are not taking anything for granted."
Laos is a tiny Asian nation, located between Thailand and Vietnam, that is still recovering from decades of civil war.
The infant mortality rate is 12 times worse than Canada's and the country ranks near the bottom of the United Nation's developing nation list.
But it is also a nation of immense beauty and its people are often referred to as the friendliest people on earth.
During the Cold War, many Lao physicians received their training in Communist countries. They learned how to treat Western afflictions but were given no education about the common problems they face like malaria and Dengue fever.
Future doctors are now being taught both how to treat exotic diseases and how to prevent them.
Funding for the Faculty of Medicine Lao project comes from the U of C, the World Health Organization, and the Governments of Canada and Luxembourg.
The project also accepts private donations by cheque, which can be sent to:
Ms Ruth Malus
Administrative Coordinator, UME
Room G 701, Health Sciences Centre
3330 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary AB Canada
T2N 4N1
A charitable donation receipt will be issued by the U of C.
