Helping Hands are Healthy Hands!
Primary Health Care in Laos
Case Study
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| Teacher's Notes | Case Study |
- Using an atlas, locate Laos. Students i. copy the map, including border countries ii. measure the distance between Sayaboury and where they live in Australia iii. describe what they can about the terrain of the country iv. Consider why river transport might be as important as road transport to many villagers in the country.
- Teacher displays items, similar to the contents of the VHV First Aid kit. Students list the illnesses or injuries that these could possibly be used for by the VHV. What are the advantages of people having access to such items? What would the students add to the kit that the VHV might find very useful but also easy to purchase if necessary? What types of injuries and illnesses would the VHV be unable to handle and need to refer on to other, more skilled health workers?
- In small groups develop a role play centering on a typical morning in the life of a Village Health Volunteer (VHV) in Sayaboury Province. Through the role play, students are asked to demonstrate the types of simple injuries or problems and treatments the VHV may have to deal with using their First Aid kit. Role plays should also include at least one patient who needs to be referred to the nearest dispensary.
- Invite a member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade to visit the class to talk about First Aid and what training they have done. Some demonstrations in the type and use of bandages could be copied and practised by the students. Ask the visitor to display and explain the contents of their First Aid bag and give examples of how these are used in treatment. Compare this with a VHV First Aid kit. What are the similarities and differences?
- Students are asked to find out about their own immunisation from their parents. Students can interview their parents about the advantages of immunisation and record the age, type and reason for each immunisation. Students can collate this information as a class into a data classification chart. Around this students can display poems or written reflections on why children in Laos should have the same access to immunisation as they do.
- During the SCFA/AusAID project the National Theatre of Laos has undertaken a tour of the Phiang and Sayaboury Districts. Using puppets, they have reinforced and enhanced the health education in the districts. Invite students to imagine that they are members of the National Theatre of Laos. In small groups they are to develop a puppet show around the rules of basic hygiene and health care. With further research, students can make finger, stick or sock puppets etc. around Laotian characters or animals typical to the country.
- Teacher explains the use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) Therapy for the treatment of diarrhoea. The solution can come in packets or can be made from 8 bottle caps of sugar, one bottle cap of salt and three coke bottles of clean water. Students are asked to develop a village health poster illustrating the step-by-step process of making up this solution to prevent children dying of diarrhoea.
- List the equipment or services obtained by the Provincial Hospital through the Primary Health Care Project : X-ray equipment, generator, surgical instruments and blood bank. Students draw an image of each of these and then create a brainstorm web around each stating how these will be used for the overall benefit of the population in the province.
- Students are asked to visit their local pharmacy to investigate and research the types and costs of medicines available here for malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. What does the pharmacist say are popular medicines often needed by children under five years of age? How much do these cost? Collate the information as a class. Pose the question of how poor people in countries such as Laos are able to access such medicines when they don't have the money. In pairs, invite students to problem solve by listing the possible solutions to this question. Ask them to rank their solutions in order of most favoured solution.
- Students make a connected paper chain of 'Hazards to Health' in Laos. Students can use some or all of the following links in the chain: drinking dirty water, unbalanced diet, getting measles, no protection from mosquitoes etc. Students then develop a corresponding chain to show how these are being addressed to provide better health such as access to clean water, immunisation, nutritious food grown etc.
| Teacher's Notes | Case Study |
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